roman à clef
[ raw-mah na kle ]
/ rɔ mɑ na ˈklɛ /
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.
Nearby words
roman punch, roman ride, roman shade, roman snail, roman strike, roman à clef, roman-fleuve, romance, romance languages, romanes, romanesque
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for roman a 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
Culture definitions for roman a 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.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.