Bildungsroman

[ bil-doongz-roh-mahn; German beel-doongks-raw-mahn ]

/ ˈbɪl dʊŋz roʊˌmɑn; German ˈbil dʊŋks rɔˌmɑn /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for Bildungsroman on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural Bil·dungs·ro·mans, German Bil·dungs·ro·ma·ne

[beel-doongks-raw-mah-nuh]. /ˈbil dʊŋks rɔˌmɑ nə/.

a type of novel concerned with the education, development, and maturing of a young protagonist.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Bildungsroman

1905–10; <German, equivalent to Bildung formation + -s noun ending in compounds + Roman novel

Words nearby Bildungsroman

bilberry, bilbo, bilboes, bilby, Bildad, Bildungsroman, bile, bile acid, bilection, bile duct, bile ducts

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Bildungsroman in a sentence

The sexual bildungsroman, for the uninitiated, centers on Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos), a 15-year-old high school student in Lille.
‘Blue is the Warmest Color’: See What the Sex Scene Looks Like In the Graphic Novel|Marlow Stern|October 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Penelope is closer in sensibility to an anodyne sitcom than a precocious bildungsroman.
Paul Auster, Bernhard Schlink, and More of This Week’s Hot Reads: Aug. 13, 2012|Mythili Rao|August 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for Bildungsroman

Bildungsroman

/ German (ˈbɪldʊŋsromaːn) /

noun

a novel concerned with a person's formative years and development

Word Origin for Bildungsroman

literally: education novel

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012