romance

¹

[roh-mans, roh-mans, roh-mans]

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

   Synonyms: tale, story

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

4. 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.

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

   Synonyms: liaison, intrigue, affaire de coeur, affaire d'amour, affair

6. 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.

7. 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.

   Synonyms: exoticism, fascination, allure

8. a romantic affair or experience; a love affair.

9. Also called Romance languages. Romance. Also 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. Rom., Rom

verb (used without object)

romanced, romancing 

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

2. to think or talk romantically.

verb (used with object)

romanced, romancing 

1. Informal.

   1. to court or woo romantically; treat with ardor or chivalrousness.

      He's currently romancing a very attractive widow.

   2. 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

1. Romance. Also 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.

romance

²

[roh-mans]

noun

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

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

romance

¹

noun

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

2. love, esp romantic love idealized for its purity or beauty

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

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

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

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

7. the literary genre represented by works of these kinds

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

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

10. an extravagant, absurd, or fantastic account or explanation

11. a lyrical song or short instrumental composition having a simple melody

verb

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

2. (intr) to tell extravagant or improbable lies

3. (intr) to have romantic thoughts

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

5. (tr) to be romantically involved with

Romance

²

/ ˈrəʊmæns, rəˈmæns /

adjective

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

2. denoting a word borrowed from a Romance language

   there are many Romance words in English

noun

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

romance

1. 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.

Other Word Forms

• romancer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of romance¹

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”; Romanic

Origin of romance²

First recorded in 1595–1605; from French, from Spanish romance “kind of poem in octosyllabic verse, ballad,” from Old French romanz romance ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of romance¹

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

Example Sentences

"I heard you calling on the megaphone," she says, acknowledging how their romance began with Kelce publicly declaring his affection on his podcast in July 2023.

From BBC

Sources told TMZ that the “Somebody Like You” singer, who spoke publicly in the past about marital tensions, allegedly found romance with another woman amid the separation.

From Los Angeles Times

Five men have been jailed after exploiting people through romance fraud and stealing more than £2m in a money laundering operation.

From BBC

I’ve even joked to my boyfriend, Stephen, about starting a matchmaking service—not for romance, but for people seeking a like-minded friend to share tapas, dim sum or a Chili’s Triple Dipper.

From Salon

Her romance fizzles, but a passion is born: She’ll now explore cemeteries around the globe, musing on the tales they tell, the cultures they mirror.

From Los Angeles Times