a metrical narrative, especially in medieval French literature.
a novel.
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.
written in or pertaining to Roman numerals.
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.
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
a citizen or inhabitant of ancient or modern Rome
informal short for Roman Catholic
First recorded in 1560–80; from Middle French, French roman; see origin at romance 1 ( def. )
before 900; < Latin Rōmānus ( see Rome, -an); replacing Middle English Romain < Old French < Latin, as above; replacing Old English Roman ( e ) < Latin, as above
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Every year, the workshop produces hundreds of smaller “bulls,” with roman candles for horns that are carried on someone’s shoulders through the streets of countless small towns in Mexico, sending kids skittering in delight.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 9, 2024
The seamless overlap between real life and fictional counterparts, and the faithful reproduction of such well-established facts, conveys the author’s intention to offer a crystal clear clé to this roman à clef.
From New York Times ● Mar. 4, 2024
Her third book, “American Wife,” was a darkly shaded roman à clef about a woman very much like First Lady Laura Bush.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2023
As posts that contain the roman script rather than Chinese characters are less likely to be censored, many have posted simple messages saying "RIP", or "Rest in peace".
From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2022
I turned it over in my avatar’s hand, watching the torchlight play across the roman numeral, and that was when I spotted two small lines of text engraved into the metal.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
The Spain boss used a quote from Roman general Julius Caesar in his news conference in Dallas.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Their itinerary will include visits to the Roman Fort at Longis, the internationally important Ramsar site and gannet colony on the island's west coast, together with visits to a selection of gardens across the island.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Fendi, owned since 2001 by French conglomerate LVMH, hired Chiuri last October, bringing the Roman back to the house where she started her career in accessories under Lagerfeld.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
As a Roman citizen he grumbles about taxes yet knows that the state keeps the peace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
His father’s Roman and Greek personalities screamed back and forth in Frank’s mind with the usual soundtrack of battle noises—explosions, assault rifles, roaring jet engines—all throbbing like a subwoofer behind Frank’s eyes.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Though clay roof tiles were introduced by the Romans, the English industry grew up in the eastern part of the country during the 12th century.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
One of the few Romans to venture down the Via dei Fori Imperiali, she said she avoids going out during the hottest parts of the day.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
For thousands of years, the ancient city of Sardis in western Turkey changed hands as Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans rose and fell.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026
The politician in question is former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who wrote an op-ed in The Times of London titled “To save the West, remember what Romans taught us.”
From Salon ● Apr. 14, 2026
Even during the heyday of Rome, the Romans were not exactly math whizzes.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
This record further emphasizes her leap away from autobiography into songs that are either pure fictions or else lyrically symbolic in ways that don’t act as romans à clef.
From Slate ● Dec. 11, 2020
“I’m sad that this is what America demands as entertainment. We’re the romans, cheering for the lions. ‘Are you not entertained?’”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2019
She added that “The Love Machine” was “not exactly a literary work. But in its own little sub-category of popularly written romans à clef, it shines, like a rhinestone in a trash can.”
From New York Times ● Aug. 9, 2019
That “lunacy” is evidenced, for example, by Hester’s efforts to make romantic romans à clef out of Murdoch’s books.
From The New Yorker ● May 10, 2016
Could the romans surpass the greeks, had the romans not learned from the egyptians and greeks?
From Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish in the United States of North America by Rocchietti, Joseph
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.
