noun
1 in a play, film/movie, etc.
ADJECTIVE
▪ lead , leading , starring , title
▪
He has the starring ~ in the movie.
▪
She sings the title ~ in Tosca.
▪ big
▪
Lee began to get big ~s in movies.
▪ principal
▪ dramatic
▪ meaty , substantial
▪
the chance to sink her teeth into the meaty ~ of femme fatale Margaret
▪ plum
▪
This is the plum ~ in the play.
▪ small
▪ supporting
▪ lesser
▪ comic , tragic
▪ female , male
▪
a starring female ~
▪ cameo
▪ stereotypical
▪
one of his stereotypical action hero ~s
▪ thankless
▪
Ethan Hawke does a solid job in a thankless ~.
▪ film ( esp. BrE ), movie ( esp. AmE ), television , TV
VERB + ROLE
▪ assume , perform , play , take
▪
In the series, Smith assumes the ~ of the go-between.
▪
John's playing the leading ~ in this year's play.
▪ underplay
▪
Walken carefully underplays the ~.
▪ fill
▪
The supporting ~s are filled by British actors.
▪ reprise
▪
Most of the original cast are reprising their ~s.
▪ handle
▪
Sbaraglia handles this difficult ~ well.
▪ get , land , win
▪
It took her three years to land her first film ~.
▪ cast sb in
▪ interpret
▪
She interprets the ~ as more tragic than I expected.
▪ dance , sing
▪
Dean Ely sings the title ~.
PREPOSITION
▪ in the ~ (of)
▪
He was very good in the ~.
2 position and importance
ADJECTIVE
▪ big , huge , large , substantial
▪
Small businesses have a substantial ~ to play in keeping the economy buoyant.
▪ important , influential , instrumental , integral , powerful , prominent , significant , special
▪
an area where national rivalries play a powerful ~
▪ central , dominant , key , lead , leading , main , major , pivotal , primary
▪
Migrant workers played a central ~ in the state's prosperity.
▪ critical , crucial , decisive , essential , fundamental , vital
▪
Economic factors played a decisive ~ in the outcome of the war.
▪ useful
▪ expanded , greater , increased
▪
the expanded ~ of the federal government
▪ diminished , limited , small
▪
the limited ~ of women in the church
▪ minor , secondary , subordinate , subservient
▪ backup , supporting
▪
He may have to settle for a backup ~.
▪ constructive , full ( esp. BrE ), meaningful , positive , useful , valuable
▪ active , proactive
▪ passive
▪ direct
▪ clear , defined , distinct , exact , particular , specific , unique
▪
Every member of staff must have a clear ~.
▪
the specific ~ of calcium in preventing disease
▪ different , dual , multiple , various
▪
She has a dual ~ as principal and French teacher.
▪
Many staff perform multiple ~s.
▪ traditional
▪ changing
▪ conflicting
▪
her conflicting ~s as mother and manager of a large company
▪ advisory , consultative , managerial , regulatory , supervisory
▪ leadership
▪ maternal , parental , parenting , paternal
▪ protective
▪
Their brother plays a protective ~.
▪ caregiving ( AmE )
▪
The caregiving ~ is still overwhelmingly a female one.
▪ economic , educational , military , peacekeeping , political , social , strategic
▪
the economic ~ of small towns
▪
Adult education often serves an important social ~.
▪ symbolic
▪ possible , potential
▪
Supervising elections is a possible ~ for the UN.
▪ gender
▪
essays that question gender ~s in a patriarchal culture
▪ female , male
▪
the views prevalent in society about female ~s
VERB + ROLE
▪ have , occupy , perform , play , serve
▪
Regional managers occupy a crucial ~ in developing a strategic framework.
▪ provide
▪ provide sb/sth with
▪ adopt , assume , take , take on
▪
I've had to take on the ~ of mother in her absence.
▪ accept
▪
I accepted the executive editor ~ at the magazine.
▪
They have to be willing to accept their ~s as caregivers and not managers.
▪ resume
▪ embrace , relish
▪
She embraced her ~ as ruler of the country.
▪ fulfil/fulfill
▪
The fighting has prevented the UN troops from fulfilling their ~ as peacekeepers.
▪ fill
▪
He filled several governmental ~s.
▪ handle
▪
We are waiting to see if he can handle an expanded ~.
▪ carve out , establish
▪
He is trying to carve out a new ~ for himself.
▪ assign sb , cast sb in , give sb
▪
He has been cast in the ~ of chief apologist for the government.
▪ reverse
▪
Traditional gender ~s are reversed in their household.
▪ find
▪
We need to find a useful ~ for the volunteers in the campaign.
▪ clarify , define , elucidate , redefine
▪
a clearly defined ~ within the group
▪ analyse/analyze , assess , evaluate , examine , explore , investigate
▪
The paper examines the ~ of various institutions.
▪ emphasize , highlight , stress
▪
The authors emphasized the ~ of the slave trade in the economic development of the New World.
▪ understand
▪
We need to better understand the ~ of cold regions in the global climate system.
▪ acknowledge , appreciate , recognize
▪
Politicians acknowledge the key ~s that young people play in the country.
▪ determine , identify
▪
We will meet with them to determine individual ~s.
▪ address
▪
He addressed the ~ of tradition in design.
▪ downplay
▪
Thomas downplays the ~ of these letters as historical evidence.
▪ expand
▪
They decided to expand the ~ that new technologies play at the hospital.
▪ increase , strengthen
▪
He is looking for ways to strengthen his ~ in the business.
▪ fit
▪
I feel I can fit any ~ this team needs me to.
▪ swap ( esp. BrE ), switch
ROLE + NOUN
▪ model
▪ reversal
▪ expectation ( esp. AmE )
▪
methods for exploring gender ~ expectations
▪ conflict ( esp. AmE )
▪
This ~ conflict can quickly escalate.
PREPOSITION
▪ in a/the ~
▪
She has joined the team in a consultative ~.
▪ ~ as
▪
the teacher's ~ as instructor
▪ ~ at
▪
He assumed a conspicuous ~ at the new arts agency.
▪ ~ for
▪
The new prime minister promised a greater ~ for women in government.
▪ ~ in , ~ within
▪
Pressure groups played a major ~ in bringing about the reforms.
▪
the opportunity to assume a leadership ~ within your organization