romance

[ noun, adjective roh-mans, roh-mans; verb roh-mans ]

/ noun, adjective roʊˈmæns, ˈroʊ mæns; verb roʊˈmæns /

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See synonyms for: romance / romanced / romancing / romancer on Thesaurus.com

Definition of romance

noun

a novel, movie, or genre of popular fiction in which characters fall in love or begin a romantic relationship (often used attributively): We knew it was a romance, so we were expecting a happy ending. Romance novels are popular escapist entertainment.

a novel or other prose narrative depicting heroic or marvelous deeds, pageantry, romantic exploits, etc., usually in a historical or imaginary setting:The famous chivalric romance Ivanhoe is set in medieval England.

the colorful world, life, or conditions depicted in such tales.

a medieval narrative, originally one in verse and in some Romance dialect, treating the subjects of heroic chivalry and fantastic or supernatural events, often in the form of allegory.

a baseless, made-up story, usually full of exaggeration or fanciful invention.

feelings or demonstrations of love or desire, especially idealized love:There was no romance left in their marriage, but the partnership worked in every other regard.

the attractive, partly imagined character or quality of something, as an era, a place, or an activity, that suggests adventure, heroism, excitement, glamour, and distance from the everyday:The romance of crossing an ocean to a new life still clung to the old immigrant steamer trunk.

a romantic affair or experience; a love affair.

Romance. Also Romanic .Also called Romance languages . the group of Italic Indo-European languages descended since a.d. 800 from Latin, as French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Provençal, Catalan, Rhaeto-Romanic, Sardinian, and Ladino. Abbreviations: Rom., Rom

verb (used without object), ro·manced, ro·manc·ing.

to invent or relate romances; indulge in fanciful or extravagant stories or daydreams.

to think or talk romantically.

verb (used with object), ro·manced, ro·manc·ing.

Informal.

to court or woo romantically; treat with ardor or chivalrousness: He's currently romancing a very attractive widow.
to court the favor of or make overtures to; play up to: They need to romance the local business community if they expect to do business here.

adjective

Romance. Also Romanic . of, relating to, or noting the group of Italic Indo-European languages descended since a.d. 800 from Latin, as French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Provençal, Catalan, Rhaeto-Romanic, Sardinian, and Ladino:a Romance language.

OTHER WORDS FOR romance

2 story, tale.

7 allure, fascination, exoticism.

8 affair, affaire d'amour, affaire de coeur, intrigue, liaison.

See synonyms for romance on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of romance

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English romaunce, romanz, romanys, from Old French romanz, romans “story, narrative, history in the vernacular (French) language; a Romance language,” from assumed Vulgar Latin Rōmānicē (scrībere) (adverb) “(to write) in the vernacular, in a Romance language” (i.e., as opposed to Latin), derivative of Latin Rōmānicus “in the Roman style or pattern”; see Romanic

OTHER WORDS FROM romance

ro·manc·er, noun

Words nearby romance

Roman calendar, Roman candle, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholicism, romance, Romance languages, Roman collar, Roman congregation, Roman Curia, Roman Empire

Other definitions for romance (2 of 2)

romance²

[ roh-mans ]

/ roʊˈmæns /

noun

Music. a short, simple melody, vocal or instrumental, of tender character.

Spanish Literature. a short epic poem, especially a historical ballad.

Origin of romance

First recorded in 1595–1605; from French, from Spanish romance “kind of poem in octosyllabic verse, ballad,” from Old French romanz romance¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use romance in a sentence

Suddenly this generally sweet supporting romance took on a weirdly toxic dynamic.
Every episode of Gilmore Girls, ranked|Constance Grady|October 6, 2020|Vox
The Lunchbox is a gentle romance between two people who communicate through food.
10 delicious food movies|Alissa Wilkinson|September 25, 2020|Vox
There are new novels waiting for you in October, mysteries for cold, dark nights, and romances to put you in the mood.
Books galore, from Tom of Finland to Megan Rapinoe|Terri Schlichenmeyer|September 19, 2020|Washington Blade
While it may have some romance, it’s not intriguing to your average millennial, who is poised to be the next generation of donors for hundreds of nonprofits.
How nonprofits are catering to millennials and rethinking the charity gala for younger generations|Rachel King|September 7, 2020|Fortune

When it comes to romance, many people like to think they have a “type,” and they know what it is.
Your Romantic Ideals Don’t Predict Who Your Future Partner Will Be - Issue 88: Love & Sex|Alice Fleerackers|August 5, 2020|Nautilus
Sands was involved in a scandalous-for-the-time romance with the carpenter and there were rumors she was pregnant with his child.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Three weeks ago 24-year-old Zoe Sugg published her first novel, Girl Online, a YA romance.
Meet Zoella—The Newbie Author Whose Book Sales Topped J.K. Rowling|Lucy Scholes|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The girls ran in the same circle (Palmolive was also in the Flowers of Romance) and the group was looking for a guitarist.
A First Lady of Punk Rock Talks|Justin Jones|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This is where the sporadic and hectic handling of the romance in the movies fails.
Team Peeta or Team Gale: Why the ‘Hunger Games’ Love Triangle Ruins ‘Mockingjay – Part 1’|Kevin Fallon|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But it was fun to not write people as people, but missiles and machines as people—with feelings, and arguments, and romance.
The Renegade: Robert Downey Sr. on His Classic Films, Son’s Battle with Drugs, and Bill Cosby|Marlow Stern|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A simple errand and promenade,--and yet she felt herself to be steeped in the romance of an adventure!
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
The brilliant imaginative mind has woven it into romance, making its colors brighter still with the sunlight of inspired phantasy.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
The story of the romance of their lives, being widely rumored, greatly enhanced the interest with which they were welcomed.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
A sort of animal romance was stirred within her, and she began to feel strongly excited.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
He was one of the most daring, brave and intrepid officers of the army, and his adventures almost border on romance.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell

British Dictionary definitions for romance (1 of 2)

romance

noun (rəˈmæns, ˈrəʊmæns)

a love affair, esp an intense and happy but short-lived affair involving young people

love, esp romantic love idealized for its purity or beauty

a spirit of or inclination for adventure, excitement, or mystery

a mysterious, exciting, sentimental, or nostalgic quality, esp one associated with a place

a narrative in verse or prose, written in a vernacular language in the Middle Ages, dealing with strange and exciting adventures of chivalrous heroes

any similar narrative work dealing with events and characters remote from ordinary life

the literary genre represented by works of these kinds

(in Spanish literature) a short narrative poem, usually an epic or historical ballad

a story, novel, film, etc, dealing with love, usually in an idealized or sentimental way

an extravagant, absurd, or fantastic account or explanation

a lyrical song or short instrumental composition having a simple melody

verb (rəˈmæns)

(intr) to tell, invent, or write extravagant or romantic fictions

(intr) to tell extravagant or improbable lies

(intr) to have romantic thoughts

(intr) (of a couple) to indulge in romantic behaviour

(tr) to be romantically involved with

Derived forms of romance

romancer, noun

Word Origin for romance

C13: romauns, from Old French romans, ultimately from Latin Rōmānicus Roman

British Dictionary definitions for romance (2 of 2)

Romance

/ (rəˈmæns, ˈrəʊmæns) /

adjective

denoting, relating to, or belonging to the languages derived from Latin, including Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Romanian

denoting a word borrowed from a Romance languagethere are many Romance words in English

noun

this group of languages; the living languages that belong to the Italic branch of the Indo-European family

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 romance

romance

In traditional literary terms, a narration of the extraordinary exploits of heroes, often in exotic or mysterious settings. Most of the stories of King Arthur (see also Arthur) and his knights are romances.

The term romance has also been used for stories of mysterious adventures, not necessarily of heroes. Like the heroic kind of romance, however, these adventure romances usually are set in distant places. William Shakespeare's play The Tempest is this kind of romance.

Today, a novel concerned mainly with love is often called a romance. Romances are frequently published in paperback series.

romance

Definition of romance

OTHER WORDS FOR romance

Origin of romance

OTHER WORDS FROM romance

Words nearby romance

Other definitions for romance (2 of 2)

Origin of romance

Words related to romance

How to use romance in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for romance (1 of 2)

Derived forms of romance

Word Origin for romance

British Dictionary definitions for romance (2 of 2)

Cultural definitions for romance