Ruolo

Ruolo is an Italian noun meaning role, part, function, or position. It is used in various domains to denote the function or social place assigned to a person, object, or entity. In everyday language, it can refer to the part someone plays in a situation, such as the role of a parent, a teacher, or a team member. In theatre and cinema, ruolo designates the character portrayed by an actor, for example, "Il suo ruolo nel film è quello del protagonista." In linguistics, ruolo semantico describes the participants in an event (agent, patient, theme, goal); this usage helps analyze sentence meaning and relationships between verb and arguments. In organizational and workplace contexts, ruolo signals the duties and responsibilities attached to a position, such as "ruolo dirigenziale" or "ruolo tecnico." In gender studies, ruoli di genere refer to culturally defined expectations associated with being male or female.

In the legal and civil administration context, ruolo can mean the docket or register of cases in a court, as in "questo fascicolo è in ruolo" or "l'atto è stato inserito in ruolo." The term is often contrasted with funzione or compito when a distinction between intrinsic purpose and assigned duty is needed. Etymology: The term derives from historical uses tied to lists or registers of duties or participants; over time it broadened to denote the function or position itself. The word remains common in Italian to refer to both narrative roles and official duties, making it a versatile term across disciplines.