You’re trying to describe someone who plays an important role, right? Well, there are some other phrases you can use for playing an important role that might help.
This article will look at some alternative phrases you can use to present someone as a key contributor.
Play an Important Role Synonyms
- Be instrumental
- Be a key player
- Be pivotal
- Be central
- Be essential
- Be a major factor
- Be a cornerstone
- Be a driving force
- Be crucial
- Be significant
- Be a leading figure
KEY POINTS
- “Play an important role” is great in many formal and informal situations to highlight significant contributions.
- You could try “be instrumental” in formal contexts as a good synonym.
- “Be a key player” is a great informal alternative that works in many contexts.
Keep reading to learn more about the contexts you can use these synonyms in. Most of it will relate to resumes, but we’ve also explored how to use them more conversationally.
Also, you can skip to the last section to find out whether “play an important role” is correct. If you’ve come to learn about that, then you can skip ahead straight away.
Be Instrumental (Formal)
“Be instrumental” is a great formal metaphor demonstrating another way to say “play an important role.” It’s a professional synonym that shows someone’s essential contributions.
The phrase mainly works on a resume. It lets potential employers know that you’re a key contributor and able to make significant impacts with most tasks. This will set you apart from most standard candidates.
You can also use “be instrumental” when addressing employees. It is a form of acknowledgment, showing that their contributions are highly valued.
“Be instrumental” is a great formal alternative, allowing you to use it instead of “play an important role.” Both are effective formally, so you can switch between them when you want to keep your language engaging.
Here is a resume example to help you understand it:
I was instrumental in the success of the project by managing key deliverables.
And here is a conversational example:
You were instrumental in making this event a success. Your hard work truly paid off.
Be a Key Player (Informal)
“Be a key player” is a great informal synonym for “play an important role.” It’s much more conversational, allowing you to use it in less strict contexts.
The casual tone works well when demonstrating someone’s significant contributions to friends or colleagues. It shows they are an essential part of a team or project.
You could also use it to highlight someone’s importance in a team setting. It shows that their contributions are crucial to the overall success.
“Be a key player” doesn’t work very well formally, though. You should stick with “play an important role” in formal contexts (like your resume) if you want to be professional.
Here are a few examples that should give you more information:
He’s always been a key player in our team’s success. We couldn’t have done it without him.
You need to be a key player in this project, Sarah. Your skills are essential.
Is It Correct to Say “Play an Important Role”?
“Play an important role” is correct and useful in many situations. It’s good for both formal and informal situations.
Also, you can use it for yourself or someone else. It’s a good way to describe significant contributions. Or, you can use it to acknowledge someone’s crucial part in a project or task.
Here is another variation you can use:
Play a vital role You might find a hyphen between the words “play an important role,” but only in rare circumstances. Generally, you would only hyphenate the phrase when it’s acting as a compound adjective.
For instance:
She’s a play-an-important-role type of person. Here, all the words in the phrase modify “person.” Therefore, a hyphen is necessary between each word.
Don’t forget to bookmark this page if you want to come back to our synonyms. That way, you’ll always have something different to say instead of “play an important role.”
