roleplaying

See also: rôleplaying, role playing, role-playing, rôle playing, and rôle-playing

English

Etymology 1

From role +‎ playing.

Alternative forms

• role playing, role-playing
• rôle playing, rôle-playing, rôleplaying (dated)

Noun

roleplaying (usually uncountable, plural roleplayings)

1. Action in which a person takes on a role (as that of an actor) and acts out being that character.
   • 2017 February 8, Owen Duffy, “Monsterhearts: 'A lot of queer youth are made to feel monstrous by people around them'”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian‎^[1], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 8 February 2017:

     But perhaps the most interesting aspect of roleplaying’s development has been the emergence of the “story-game” movement: a passionate community of independent designers using games to explore new themes and approaches to storytelling.

   • 2022 June 7, Emily Zemler, quoting Rose Matafeo, “‘Starstruck’ creator and star Rose Matafeo considers a third season”, in Los Angeles Times‎^[2], Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 7 June 2022:

     Nothing’s autobiographical, but her attitude towards the scenarios she finds herself in [and] her reactions to the often heightened situations she finds herself in are probably influenced by my own reactions to those things. It’s almost like roleplaying.

   • 2024 August 7, Mary Madigan, quoting Nova Hawthorne, “Millennial escort reveals the latest ‘taboo’ sex trend taking generation by storm: ‘Thrill of secrecy’”, in New York Post‎^[3], New York, N.Y.: News Corp, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 7 August 2024:

     Roleplaying can be a fun way to tap into a cheating fantasy without compromising your relationship.

Derived terms

• LARP
• roleplaying game
• roll-playing

Translations

action in which a person takes on a role

• French: jeu de rôle (fr) m
• Italian: gioco delle parti m
• Spanish: interpretación de roles f, técnica de dramatización f, simulación (es) f, juego de roles m

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *Hreth₂-der.

Proto-Italic *rotā

Latin rota

Proto-Indo-European *-lós

Proto-Indo-European *-elós

Proto-Italic *-elos

Latin -ulus

Late Latin rotulusder.

Medieval Latin rollusbor.

Middle French rolle

French rôlebor.

English role

Proto-West Germanic *plehan

Old English pleġan

Proto-West Germanic *plegō

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti

Proto-Germanic *-ōną

Proto-West Germanic *-ōn

Proto-West Germanic *plegōn

Old English plegian

Middle English pleyen

Proto-West Germanic *plegō

Old English plega

Middle English pleye

English play

English roleplay

English -ing

English roleplaying

From roleplay + -ing.

Verb

roleplaying

1. present participle and gerund of roleplay