role play

present singular third person role plays · participle present role playing · participle past role played · past role played

1. alternativeAlternative form of roleplay.

   A marine unit in Lake Tahoe role playing as Taliban fighters, 2009 […] Marines sergeant John Sexon, lance corporal Cameron Stark and lance corporal Joshua Stevens role playing as Taliban fighters, 2009

   2025 November 19, “‘We shoot at the good guys’: the role-players who train US troops – in pictures”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 19 Nov 2025

   4 more examples

   In Asia, where the teacher is the complete source of knowledge, students listen, take notes, memorize, recite and follow directions. Students’ ideas are neither requested nor valued. Asking them to role play threatens this established hierarchy.

   2000 August 26, Norine Dresser, “Role-Playing Dilemma”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 23 Nov 2025

   Role playing your interview from beginning to end (with a friend "acting" the interviewer) can do more than just reveal a limp handshake. […] An interviewer will probably dig around for red-flag areas, and role playing your answers will help you deal with these gracefully.

   2011 March 1, “How role playing can perfect your interview skills”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 29 Nov 2014

   Therapy can and even sometimes should feel like a game. For when we play, we are present. But more importantly, we are malleable, dropping preconceived notions of what should or shouldn’t happen. We’re also more accepting of change and open to learning and addressing negative habits. And therapy is an opportunity, of course, to role play.

   2021 July 14, Todd Martens, “Games are therapy. Don’t believe us? Ask famed relationship therapist Esther Perel”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 Jul 2021

   The audio chat room Clubhouse, which also drew a crowd during Covid — and lately, perhaps less so, brings people together to talk about a topic of shared interest or to role play as a McDonald’s drive-through.

   2021 December 21, Shira Ovide, “The Tech I Want in 2022”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 21 Dec 2021

plural role plays

1. alternativecountableuncountableAlternative form of roleplay.

   Lesbian, 34, seeks lesbians who enjoy occasional anal sex and role plays. Light s/m ok too.

   1985 August 17, “Personal advertisement”, in Gay Community News, volume 13, number 6, page 13

   3 more examples

   After lunch, candidates steeled themselves for the day's real challenge: an afternoon of role-playing. Sue Wright, the clinical program's coordinator of admissions (and the producer of this annual event), said, "As far as we know, ours is the only program that uses role plays in the interview process."

   1994 April 10, Susan Schnur, “Interview Jitters at Graduate School”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 23 Nov 2025

   “[…] There are even zones on certain servers where people go to ERP.” “ERP?” “Erotic role play.” “You go into these games to have sex?”

   2019 May 15, M.M. Chouinard, chapter 42, in The Dancing Girls (Detective Jo Fournier; 1), London: Bookouture, →ISBN, part III

   The second project, role play in packaway settings, was conducted over an extended period of time and moved the mosaic approach from a method, a way of collecting data, to an ethnographic methodology in which I was immersed in the setting and was able to understand the lived experiences of the children.

   2019 June 4, Zeta Brown, Helen Perkins, Using Innovative Methods in Early Years Research