role-playing

[ rohl-pley-ing ]

noun

1. a method of instruction or psychotherapy aimed at changing attitudes and behavior, in which participants act out designated roles relevant to real-life situations.
2. the modifying of a person's behavior to accord with a desired personal image, as to impress others or conform to a particular environment.

role-playing

noun

1. psychol activity in which a person imitates, consciously or unconsciously, a role uncharacteristic of himself See also psychodrama

Word History and Origins

Origin of role-playing¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Host Geoff Keighley also revealed that the 3D platformer and the role-playing game had received seven nominations each, including Game of the Year.

From BBC

The long-awaited new one from the people behind Persona 5 - widely considered one of the finest role-playing games to come out of Japan.

From BBC

Plus the music video is an impressively designed tribute to the role-playing video game Stardew Valley.

From New York Times

There’s nowhere else, for instance, one can sample a “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” game and take part in the live-action role-playing game “The Apple Avenue Detective Agency.”

From Los Angeles Times

It specifies hangout experiences as games where "the primary theme or purpose" is to allow people to communicate with each other as themselves, rather than role-playing as a character.

From BBC