Meanings
plural role models · alternative role-model · alternative rolemodel · alternative rôle model
- A person who serves as an example, or whose behavior is emulated by others.
Where's my wife and family? / What if I die here? / Who'll be my role model / Now that my role model is gone, gone?
1986, Paul Simon, “You Can Call Me Al”, in Graceland1 more example
Shepard: I don't have time for this, Conrad. I'm not here to be a role model. Conrad Verner: Oh, I see how it is. Commander Shepard doesn't have time for the little people! Conrad Verner: Far be it for me to get in your way! You go be a hero.
2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: CitadelSynonyms: exemplar, household deity, archetype, epitome, example, exemplar, icon, model
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA person who serves as an example, or whose behavior is emulated by others.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Coined by sociologist Robert K. Merton. First use appears c. 1944 in the American Sociological Review.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian образец за подражание, пример
- образец за подражание (obrazec za podražanie)person who serves as an example
- пример (primer)person who serves as an example
- образец (obrazec)person who serves as an example
Chinese Mandarin 榜樣 /榜样, 表率
- 榜樣 /榜样 (bǎngyàng)person who serves as an example
- 表率 (biǎoshuài)person who serves as an example
Danish forbillede, rollemodel
- forbilledeperson who serves as an example
- rollemodelperson who serves as an example
Dutch rolmodel, voorbeeld
- rolmodelperson who serves as an example
- voorbeeldperson who serves as an example
Finnish roolimalli, esikuva
- roolimalliperson who serves as an example
- esikuvaperson who serves as an example
- malliperson who serves as an example
French modèle, exemple
- modèleperson who serves as an example
- exempleperson who serves as an example
German Vorbild
- Vorbildperson who serves as an example
Hebrew מודל לחיקוי
- מודל לחיקויperson who serves as an example
Hungarian példakép
- példaképperson who serves as an example
Icelandic fyrirmynd
- fyrirmyndperson who serves as an example
Indonesian model peranan, panutan
- model perananperson who serves as an example
- panutanperson who serves as an example
- suri teladanperson who serves as an example
Italian modello di comportamento, esempio
- modello di comportamentoperson who serves as an example
- esempioperson who serves as an example
- modelloperson who serves as an example
- falsarigaperson who serves as an example
- paradigmaperson who serves as an example
Japanese お手本
- お手本 (o-tehon)person who serves as an example
Korean 역할 모델
- 역할 모델person who serves as an example
Malay suri teladan
- suri teladanperson who serves as an example
Māori mūrau
- mūrauperson who serves as an example
Norwegian forbilde
- forbildeperson who serves as an example
Persian الگو, اسوه
- الگو (olgu)person who serves as an example
- اسوه (osve)person who serves as an example
- نمونه (nemune)person who serves as an example
- سرمشق (sar mashq)person who serves as an example
Polish przykład, wzór
- przykładperson who serves as an example
- wzórperson who serves as an example
Portuguese modelo, exemplo
- modeloperson who serves as an example
- exemploperson who serves as an example
Russian образе́ц для подража́ния, приме́р
- образе́ц для подража́ния (obrazéc dlja podražánija)person who serves as an example
- приме́р (primér)person who serves as an example
- образе́ц (obrazéc)person who serves as an example
Slovak vzor, príklad (pre druhých)
- vzorperson who serves as an example
- príklad (pre druhých)person who serves as an example
Spanish modelo a imitar / seguir
- modelo a imitar / seguirperson who serves as an example
Swedish förebild
- förebildperson who serves as an example
Thai บุคคลต้นแบบ
- บุคคลต้นแบบ (bùk-kon-dtôn-bɛ̀ɛp)person who serves as an example
Ukrainian зразок для наслідування
- зразок для наслідування (zrazok dlja nasliduvannja)person who serves as an example
Welsh delfryd ymddwyn
- delfryd ymddwynperson who serves as an example
Cite this entry
role model. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/role%20model
“role model.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/role%20model. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “role model,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/role%20model.
Source: role model on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.