Role-playing, also known as roleplaying, is the act of changing ones behavior to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role or consciously to act out an adopted role. It can refer to playing roles generally, such as in a theater or educational setting, or taking the role of a character or person and acting it out with a partner taking someone elses role, often involving different genres of practice. Role-playing exercises give students the opportunity to assume the role of a person or act out a given situation, which can be performed by individual students, in pairs, or in groups.

Role-playing can be used in various contexts, such as occupational training, educational role-play exercises, and certain military wargames. It can also be effectively used in the classroom to provide real-world scenarios to help students learn, understand the use of role-playing sessions, and mirror career-related scenarios. Role-playing games are a type of game in which participants assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create stories.

In summary, role-playing is a technique that involves acting out a role or character, either for entertainment or educational purposes. It can be used in various contexts, such as training, education, and gaming, and can be performed individually, in pairs, or in groups.