Role vs. Function

The main difference between role and function is that role is a part played by someone in a specific circumstance, whereas function is the natural purpose of something or the duty of someone.

Key Differences

The role is a part played by someone in a specific circumstance, whereas function is the natural purpose of something or the duty of someone.

A teacher plays the role of mediator, organizer, facilitator, confidant, etc.; on the contrary, a teacher’s functions include teaching the students, assessing the student’s knowledge, and organizing the lessons, etc.

An individual can perform different roles in different frameworks, and every role involves a different set of functions and responsibilities while in function, each role has different functions related to it.

The role is a situation that one gets by its virtue; on the other hand, the function is the act that a role demands.

Comparison Chart

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The role is a part played by someone in a specific circumstance.

The function is the natural purpose of something or the duty of someone.

Meaning

A part played by someone in a specific condition

Natural purpose of something or the duty of someone.

Interrelation

An individual can perform different roles in different frameworks

Each role has different functions related to it

Purpose

A situation that one gets by its virtue

The act that a role demands

Harlon Moss

Aug 27, 2019

Examples

A teacher plays the role of mediator, organizer, facilitator, confidant, etc.

A teacher’s functions include teaching the students, assessing the student’s knowledge, and organizing the lessons, etc.

Janet White

Aug 27, 2019

Role and Function Definitions

Role

Also rôle A character or part played by a performer.

Function

A person's role or occupation

In my function as chief editor.

Role

The characteristic and expected social behavior of an individual.

Function

(Biology) The physiological activity of an organ or body part

The heart's function is to pump blood.

Role

A function or position.

Function

(Computers) A procedure within an application.

Role

(Linguistics) The function of a word or construction, as in a sentence.

Function

An official ceremony or a formal social occasion

Disliked attending receptions and other company functions.

Role

A character or part played by a performer or actor.

My neighbor was the lead role in last year's village play.

Her dream was to get a role in a Hollywood movie, no matter how small.

Function

Something closely related to another thing and dependent on it for its existence, value, or significance

Growth is a function of nutrition.

Role

The expected behaviour of an individual in a society.

The role of women has changed significantly in the last century.

Function

A variable so related to another that for each value assumed by one there is a value determined for the other.

Role

The function or position of something.

Local volunteers played an important role in cleaning the beach after the oil spill.

What role does the wax in your earhole fulfill?

Function

A rule of correspondence between two sets such that there is exactly one element in the second set assigned to each element in the first set. Also called mapping.

Role

Designation that denotes an associated set of responsibilities, knowledge, skills, and attitudes

The project manager role is responsible for ensuring that everyone on the team knows and executes his or her assigned tasks.

Function

To have or perform a function; serve

Functioned as ambassador.

Role

(grammar) The function of a word in a phrase.

Function

To deal with or overcome the challenges of everyday life

For weeks after his friend's funeral he simply could not function.

Role

(object-oriented) In the Raku programming language, a code element akin to an interface, used for composition of classes without adding to their inheritance chain.

Function

What something does or is used for.

Role

A part, or character, performed by an actor in a drama; hence, a part of function taken or assumed by any one; as, he has now taken the rôle of philanthropist.

Function

A professional or official position.

Role

The actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group;

The function of a teacher

The government must do its part

Play its role

Function

An official or social occasion.

Role

An actor's portrayal of someone in a play;

She played the part of Desdemona

Function

Something which is dependent on or stems from another thing; a result or concomitant.

Role

What something is used for;

The function of an auger is to bore holes

Ballet is beautiful but what use is it?

Function

A relation where one thing is dependent on another for its existence, value, or significance.

Role

Normal or customary activity of a person in a particular social setting;

What is your role on the team?

Function

(mathematics) A relation in which each element of the domain is associated with exactly one element of the codomain. Category:en:Functions

Function

(computing) A routine that receives zero or more arguments and may return a result.

Function

(biology) The physiological activity of an organ or body part.

Function

(chemistry) The characteristic behavior of a chemical compound.

Function

(anthropology) The role of a social practice in the continued existence of the group.

Function

(intransitive) To have a function.

Function

(intransitive) To carry out a function; to be in action.

Function

The act of executing or performing any duty, office, or calling; performance.

Function

The appropriate action of any special organ or part of an animal or vegetable organism; as, the function of the heart or the limbs; the function of leaves, sap, roots, etc.; life is the sum of the functions of the various organs and parts of the body.

Function

The natural or assigned action of any power or faculty, as of the soul, or of the intellect; the exertion of an energy of some determinate kind.

As the mind opens, and its functions spread.

Function

The course of action which peculiarly pertains to any public officer in church or state; the activity appropriate to any business or profession.

Tradesmen . . . going about their functions.

The malady which made him incapable of performing hisregal functions.

Function

A quantity so connected with another quantity, that if any alteration be made in the latter there will be a consequent alteration in the former. Each quantity is said to be a function of the other. Thus, the circumference of a circle is a function of the diameter. If x be a symbol to which different numerical values can be assigned, such expressions as x2, 3x, Log. x, and Sin. x, are all functions of x.

Function

A religious ceremony, esp. one particularly impressive and elaborate.

Every solemn function' performed with the requirements of the liturgy.

Function

A public or social ceremony or gathering; a festivity or entertainment, esp. one somewhat formal.

This function, which is our chief social event.

Function

To execute or perform a function; to transact one's regular or appointed business.

Function

A mathematical relation such that each element of one set is associated with at least one element of another set

Function

What something is used for;

The function of an auger is to bore holes

Ballet is beautiful but what use is it?

Function

The actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group;

The function of a teacher

The government must do its part

Play its role

Function

A relation such that one thing is dependent on another;

Height is a function of age

Price is a function of supply and demand

Function

A formal or official social gathering or ceremony;

It was a black-tie function

Function

A vaguely specified social event;

The party was quite an affair

An occasion arranged to honor the president

A seemingly endless round of social functions

Function

A set sequence of steps, part of larger computer program

Function

Perform as expected when applied;

The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in

Does this old car still run well?

This old radio doesn't work anymore

Function

Serve a purpose, role, or function;

The tree stump serves as a table

The female students served as a control group

This table would serve very well

His freedom served him well

The table functions as a desk

Function

Perform duties attached to a particular office or place or function;

His wife officiated as his private secretary

Role vs. Function

The role is a part played by someone in a specific circumstance, whereas function is the natural purpose of something or the duty of someone. An individual can perform different roles in different frameworks, and every role involves a different set of functions and responsibilities while in function, each role has different functions related to it. The role is a situation that one gets by its virtue; on the other hand, the function is the act that a role demands. A teacher plays the role of mediator, organizer, facilitator, confidant, etc.; on the contrary, a teacher’s functions include teaching the students, assessing the student’s knowledge, and organizing the lessons, etc.

What is Role?

The role is simply a part played by someone in a specific circumstance. Every individual in this whole world plays different roles in their lives. At home, the role of a parent, child or sibling is played. At work, the role of an employee is played by some individuals. Nevertheless, different roles are associated with different functions, responsibilities, and duties. Such as the role of a mother comprises responsibility of protecting her child from any harm whereas the role of a child comprises the duty of respecting his parents. In a professional environment, the role can also discuss the professional position of a person or the part played by a person. For instance, the role of a teacher may include as a disciplinarian, mediator of learning, organizer of the lessons, confidant to students, etc. The functions and duties of occupation are also associated with this specific word ‘role’ i.e., what the person does in his professional ability in that position of his. Such as a doctor’s role involve identifying the different medical condition and treating patients.

Factors Influencing Role Development

Societal Influence: The arrangement of society often forms individuals into their certain roles built on the social situations they choose to experience. Parents registering their children in certain programs at a young age increases the chance that the child will follow that certain role.
Genetic Predisposition: People adopt roles that come naturally to them. Those with athletic ability normally accept roles of athletes. Those with mental genius and great knowledge often handle roles devoted to education and knowledge. This discussion does not mean that people must select only one path; each individual can experience reappearance in multiple roles.
Cultural Influence: Different cultures place different morals on certain roles founded on their lifestyle. For example, soccer players are regarded higher in European countries where soccer is very popular than in the United States, where soccer is less popular.
Situational Influence: Roles can be transformed or created based on the situation a person is put in outside their influence.

Examples

A teacher plays the role of a mediator, organizer, facilitator, confidant, etc.
The role of a police officer is to ensure that the law is obeyed.
What’s Jack’s role in this drama?

What is a Function?

The function is the natural purpose of something or the duty of someone. It also means the purpose or action for which a thing or a person is employed or suited. The oxford dictionary defines the function as “practical purpose or use in design.” In simple terms, the function mentions the natural purpose of something or the duty of a person — for instance, the function of veins in the body to carry blood from the body towards the heart. Also, the function of a security guard is to make sure the security of a place. People who play various roles in society has various functions according to it. The same applies to organizations and companies. For instance, the function of a sales assistant is not the same as the function of the assistant manager of that company. Functions in this framework talk about the duties held by a certain position. The word role is frequently used synonymously with function.

Examples

A teacher’s functions include teaching the students, assessing the student’s knowledge, and organizing the lessons, etc.
Within the company, no one knows what his function is.
Jackson performs several important functions within the company.
His chief function is to provide legal advice to the company.

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Role vs. Function

Key Differences

Comparison Chart

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Meaning

Interrelation

Purpose

Examples

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Examples

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