Romani

American  

[rom-uh-nee, roh-muh-] / ˈrɒm ə ni, ˈroʊ mə- /

Also Romany,

noun

Romanis plural

1. the Indic language of the Roma, its various forms differing greatly because of local influences.

2. a member of the Roma, a traditionally nomadic ethnic group.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Roma, their language, or their customs.

   the Romani people.

Romani British  

/ ˈrəʊ-, ˈrɒmənɪ /

noun

1. a variant spelling of Romany

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Sensitive Note

See gypsy.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Romanis
  plural
• Romani
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Romani

First recorded in 1800–05; from Romani romani, feminine singular of adjective romanō “pertaining to the Roma”; see origin at Rom ( def. )

Example Sentences

Kezia is the lone surviving member of a nomadic Romani family.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

"She reflects the reality of millions of people living in the Balkans. She embodies a Balkan identity more than a Romani one," he told AFP.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

"As the companion cools down, the mixture of carbon and oxygen in the interior starts to crystallize," Romani said.

From Science Daily • Jan. 1, 2026

The church houses the Salus Populi Romani, a Byzantine icon of the Virgin believed to have been made by St Luke the Evangelist and used by Jesuit orders all over the world.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2025

The real Romani of nineteenth-century central Europe, whose fundamental ethnic origins were Indian, kept their own music to themselves.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall