a metrical narrative, especially in medieval French literature.
a novel.
Roman
[roh-muh n]
adjective
of or relating to the ancient or modern city of Rome, or to its inhabitants and their customs and culture: Roman restaurants.
of or relating to the ancient kingdom, republic, and empire whose capital was the city of Rome.
of a kind or character regarded as typical of the ancient Romans: Roman virtues.
(usually lowercase)designating or pertaining to the upright style of printing types most commonly used in modern books, periodicals, etc., of which the main text of this dictionary is an example.
of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church.
noting, pertaining to, or resembling the architecture of ancient Rome, especially the public and religious architecture, characterized by the employment of massive brick and concrete construction, with such features as the semicircular arch, the dome, and groin and barrel vaults, by the use in interiors of marble and molded stucco revetments, by the elaboration of the Greek orders as purely decorative motifs for the adornment of façades and interiors, and by an overall effect in which simplicity and grandeur of massing is often combined with much elaboration of detailing.
a native, inhabitant, or citizen of ancient or modern Rome.
the dialect of Italian spoken in Rome.
(usually lowercase)roman type or lettering.
Disparaging. a member of the Roman Catholic Church.
Rare. the Latin language.
a male given name.
Origin of Roman
before 900; < LatinRōmānus (see Rome, -an); replacing Middle EnglishRomain < Old French < Latin, as above; replacing Old EnglishRoman(e) < Latin, as above
of, relating to, or denoting a vertical style of printing type: the usual form of type for most printed matterCompare italic
noun
roman type or print
Word Origin for roman
C16: so called because the style of letters is that used in ancient Roman inscriptions
roman
2
noun
a metrical narrative in medieval French literature derived from the chansons de geste
Roman
adjective
of or relating to Rome or its inhabitants in ancient or modern times
of or relating to Roman Catholicism or the Roman Catholic Church
denoting, relating to, or having the style of architecture used by the ancient Romans, characterized by large-scale masonry domes, barrel vaults, and semicircular arches
Old English, from Latin Romanus "of Rome, Roman," from Roma "Rome" (see Rome). The adjective is c.1300, from Old French Romain. The Old English adjective was romanisc, which yielded Middle English Romanisshe.
As a type of numeral (usually contrasted to Arabic) it is attested from 1728; as a type of lettering (based on the upright style typical of Roman inscriptions, contrasted to Gothic, or black letter, and italic) it is recorded from 1510s. Roman nose is from 1620s. Roman candle as a type of fireworks is recorded from 1834. Roman Catholic is attested from c.1600, a conciliatory formation from the time of the Spanish Match, replacing Romanist, Romish which by that time had the taint of insult in Protestant England.
n.
"a novel," 1765, from French roman, from Old French romanz (see romance (n.)); roman à clef, novel in which characters represent real persons, literally "novel with a key" (French), first attested in English 1893. And, for those who can't get enough of it, roman policier "a story of police detection" (1928).
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