a novel, movie, or genre of popular fiction in which characters fall in love or begin a romantic relationship (often used attributively).
We knew it was a romance, so we were expecting a happy ending.
Romance novels are popular escapist entertainment.
a novel or other prose narrative depicting heroic or marvelous deeds, pageantry, romantic exploits, etc., usually in a historical or imaginary setting.
The famous chivalric romance Ivanhoe is set in medieval England.
the colorful world, life, or conditions depicted in such tales.
a medieval narrative, originally one in verse and in some Romance dialect, treating the subjects of heroic chivalry and fantastic or supernatural events, often in the form of allegory.
a baseless, made-up story, usually full of exaggeration or fanciful invention.
feelings or demonstrations of love or desire, especially idealized love.
There was no romance left in their marriage, but the partnership worked in every other regard.
the attractive, partly imagined character or quality of something, as an era, a place, or an activity, that suggests adventure, heroism, excitement, glamour, and distance from the everyday.
The romance of crossing an ocean to a new life still clung to the old immigrant steamer trunk.
a romantic affair or experience; a love affair.
Also called Romance languages. Romance. Also the group of Italic Indo-European languages descended since a.d. 800 from Latin, as French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Provençal, Catalan, Rhaeto-Romanic, Sardinian, and Ladino. Rom., Rom
to invent or relate romances; indulge in fanciful or extravagant stories or daydreams.
to think or talk romantically.
Music. a short, simple melody, vocal or instrumental, of tender character.
Spanish Literature. a short epic poem, especially a historical ballad.
a love affair, esp an intense and happy but short-lived affair involving young people
love, esp romantic love idealized for its purity or beauty
a spirit of or inclination for adventure, excitement, or mystery
a mysterious, exciting, sentimental, or nostalgic quality, esp one associated with a place
a narrative in verse or prose, written in a vernacular language in the Middle Ages, dealing with strange and exciting adventures of chivalrous heroes
any similar narrative work dealing with events and characters remote from ordinary life
the literary genre represented by works of these kinds
(in Spanish literature) a short narrative poem, usually an epic or historical ballad
a story, novel, film, etc, dealing with love, usually in an idealized or sentimental way
an extravagant, absurd, or fantastic account or explanation
a lyrical song or short instrumental composition having a simple melody
(intr) to tell, invent, or write extravagant or romantic fictions
(intr) to tell extravagant or improbable lies
(intr) to have romantic thoughts
(intr) (of a couple) to indulge in romantic behaviour
(tr) to be romantically involved with
denoting, relating to, or belonging to the languages derived from Latin, including Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Romanian
denoting a word borrowed from a Romance language
there are many Romance words in English
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English romaunce, romanz, romanys, from Old French romanz, romans “story, narrative, history in the vernacular (French) language; a Romance language,” from assumed Vulgar Latin Rōmānicē (scrībere) (adverb) “(to write) in the vernacular, in a Romance language” (i.e., as opposed to Latin), derivative of Latin Rōmānicus “in the Roman style or pattern”; see Romanic
First recorded in 1595–1605; from French, from Spanish romance “kind of poem in octosyllabic verse, ballad,” from Old French romanz romance 1
Romance is the relationship between two lovers. Is there a romance blossoming between you and your lab partner, or is the assignment so hard you have to work together constantly? Romance comes from Roman, and first meant a story translated into French from Latin (the common language of old Rome), usually about the amorous adventures of chivalrous knights, which is how romances came to be associated with love stories. Now it's used to mean a love relationship, in a story or not. The Romance languages are those derived from Latin. If you romance a tale, you exaggerate it, and if you romance a person, you're making advances.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For Ali, the film's broader message transcends romance.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
Few shows are quite as ripely pubescent as this adaptation of the very popular “Every Summer After,” the debut of author Carley Fortune and the opening salvo in her “Barry’s Bay” series of romance novels.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
He shed some light on origins of their romance, revealing that they were “introduced by friends” and immediately formed a strong connection.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
According to figures obtained by the BBC last year, the amount of money lost to romance fraud cases reported to Action Fraud went above £92m in 2024, up from £82m the year before.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
I never thought I was his type, but ours was a "right in front of me the whole time" kind of romance.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
