Bildungsroman
[ bil-doongz-roh-mahn; German beel-doongks-raw-mahn ]
/ ˈbɪl dʊŋz roʊˌmɑn; German ˈbil dʊŋks rɔˌmɑn /
Save This Word!
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.
Origin of Bildungsroman
1905–10; <German, equivalent to Bildung formation + -s noun ending in compounds + Roman novel
Words nearby Bildungsroman
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 BEASTPenelope 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