Roma

¹ American  

[roh-mah] / ˈroʊ mɑ /

noun

plural

Romas,

plural

Roma

1. Also a member of the traditionally nomadic Romani-speaking ethnic group that migrated from northern India to Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries, or any of their descendants around the world.

   Unfortunately, the Roma continue to face discrimination and are subjected to profiling by law enforcement.

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adjective

1. Romani.

Roma ² American  

[raw-mah] / ˈrɔ mɑ /

noun

1. Italian name of Rome.

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Roma ¹ British  

/ ˈrəʊmə /

noun

1. 1. another name for Gypsy

   2. ( as modifier )

      Roma gypsy musicians

2. another name for Romany

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Roma ² British  

/ ˈroːma /

noun

1. the Italian name for Rome

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Sensitive Note

See gypsy.

Etymology

Origin of Roma

First recorded in 1840–45; from Romani Romá, plural of Rom ( def. )

Example Sentences

In reality, Lolita is the work of a man who calls himself Tom, a 32-year-old visual designer who said he did not necessarily mean for his creation to have a Roma identity.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

Real-life Roma singer Bianca Mihai, a contestant on the Romanian version of reality TV show "The Voice" last year, called Lolita's overnight success "unfair".

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

There were wild scenes of celebration when Roma became the inaugural winners, while the following year West Ham claimed a dramatic last-minute success against Fiorentina to end their 43-year wait for a major trophy.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

However, Liverpool decided they were not able to proceed with the move because the club was unable to recall Kostas Tsimikas from his loan at Roma.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

For three weeks I sailed on the SS Roma, an Italian cargo vessel, in a cabin next to the ship’s engine, across the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, and finally to England.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• Romanichal
• tzigane
• zingara
• zingaro