play a role
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
to have an influence or responsibility in a situation
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
có ảnh hưởng hoặc trách nhiệm trong tình huống
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Literally: perform an part in a theatrical performance
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
She played a key role in the project's success
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “play a role” mean?
to have an influence or responsibility in a situation Literally: perform an part in a theatrical performance
Is “play a role” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.