roman à clef

[ raw-mah na -kle ]

/ rɔ mɑ na ˈklɛ /

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noun, plural ro·mans à clef

[raw-mahn za -kle]. /rɔ mɑ̃ za ˈklɛ/. French.

a novel that represents historical events and characters under the guise of fiction.

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Origin of roman à clef

First recorded in 1880–85; literally “novel with a key,” the key being the connection between the fictional and nonfictional elements of the novel

Words nearby roman à clef

Romaic, romaine, Romains, romaji, roman, roman à clef, Roman alphabet, Roman arch, Roman blind, Roman brick, Roman calendar

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use roman à clef in a sentence

ROME — What does it take for a Hollywood A-lister to get a private audience with Pope Francis?
Pope Francis Has the Pleasure of Meeting Angelina Jolie for a Few Seconds|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Yes, Byrd—dead four-and-a-half years now—was a Kleagle in the Ku Klux Klan.
Steve Scalise and the Right’s Ridiculous Racial Blame Game|Michael Tomasky|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
By the time it concluded with a sing-a-long of “XO,” Beyoncé had done the rare thing.
Bow Down, Bitches: How Beyoncé Turned an Elevator Brawl Into a Perfect Year|Kevin Fallon|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In another year, stories about the strange new face of an A-list actress might draw chortles and cackles.
Renée Zellweger Got a New Face—and Everyone Had An Opinion About It|Kevin O’Keeffe|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Because Duck Dynasty receives monster TV ratings and Robertson paid by a company (A&E) while making these public statements.
Butts, Brawls, and Bill Cosby: The Biggest Celebrity Scandals of 2014 |Kevin Fallon|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now-a-days it is the bankrupt who flouts, and his too confiding creditors who are jeered and laughed at.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
Roman Pane who accompanied Columbus on his second voyage alludes to another method of using the herb.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
The last-named building remained in the possession of the Unitarians until 1861, when it was sold to the Roman Catholics.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
He felt himself the meanest, vilest thing a-crawl upon this sinful earth, and she—dear God!
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
All that scientific bric-a-brac in the cupboard had far better be thrown away.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

British Dictionary definitions for roman à clef

roman à clef

/ French (rɔmɑ̃ a kle) /

noun plural romans à clef (rɔmɑ̃ a kle)

a novel in which real people are depicted under fictitious names

Word Origin for roman à clef

literally: novel with a key

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

Cultural definitions for roman à clef

roman à clef

[ (roh-mahn ah klay) ]

A novel in which actual people and places are disguised as fictional characters. Roman à clef is French for “novel with a key.”