romance en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ɾoˈmæːns/ (India, South)
- /ˈrəʊ.man(t)s/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /roʊˈmæn(t)s/ (General-American)
- /rə(ʊ)ˈman(t)s/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈɾoː.mæːns/ (India, South)
- (US) audio
- /ɾoːˈmæːns/ (India, North)
- /ˈroʊˌmæn(t)s/ (General-American)
Etymology
From Middle English romauns, roumance, borrowed from Anglo-Norman and Old French romanz, romans (the vernacular language of France, as opposed to Latin), from Medieval Latin rōmānicē, Vulgar Latin rōmānicē (“in the Roman language”, adverb), from Latin rōmānicus (“roman”, adjective) from rōmānus (“a Roman”). Doublet of Romansch.
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) An intimate relationship between two people; a love affair.
Everybody's working for the weekend Everybody wants a new romance.
1981, Paul Dean, Matt Frenette, Mike Reno, “Working for the Weekend”, in Get Lucky, performed by Loverboy:
- (countable, uncountable) A strong obsession or attachment for something or someone.
- (countable, uncountable) Idealized love which is pure or beautiful.
- (countable, uncountable) A story, novel, film, etc., centred around an idealized love relationship.
-
(countable, uncountable) A story relating to chivalry; a story involving knights, heroes, adventures, quests, etc.
`Will you undertake the task? We give you complete freedom, and as a reward you will, we believe, have the credit of presenting to the world the most wonderful history, as distinguished from romance, that its records can show.'
1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
-
(countable, uncountable) A tale of high adventure.
Could one have known the past histories of some of the oddly-selected couples who shared everything in common, many a romance might have been written during what, to all outward appearances, was a dull and prosaic time to most lookers-on!
1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 152:
-
(countable, uncountable) A mysterious, exciting, or fascinating quality.
There's a comforting romance to the space—the chalky white walls, the soaring ceilings, the natural light flooding in through the windows, all of which create a warm, flattering glow.
2026 May 14, Stacie Stukin, “Historic Opportunity”, in Architectural Digest, volume 83, number 4, page 74:the romance of cruising down the Nile.
- (countable, uncountable) A literary or filmic genre about idealized love.
- (countable, uncountable) An embellished account of something; an idealized lie.
-
(countable, uncountable) An adventure, or series of extraordinary events, resembling those narrated in romances.
His life was a romance.
-
(countable, uncountable) A dreamy, imaginative habit of mind; a disposition to ignore what is real.
She was so full of romance she would forget what she was supposed to be doing.
- (countable, uncountable) A sentimental piece of music; a romanza.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| romances | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
platonic love (antonym(s) of “intimate relationship”) · platonic (antonym(s) of “intimate relationship”) · antiromance (antonym(s) of “intimate relationship”) · platonic relationship (antonym(s) of “intimate relationship”) · nonromance (antonym(s) of “intimate relationship”)
Deriveds
romancist · romanceful · romantasy · May-December romance · romancey · Romancelandia · romance scam · outromance · romantopia · romantic · sismance · romance tourist · scientific romance · autumn romance · gaslight romance · romanceless · romance zone · photo-romance · sweet savage romance · showmance · romance tourism · erom · family romance · romancical · romantica · May-September romance · romance fraud · dark romance · womance · romancelike · romancy · crimance · fauxmance · romanceable · bromance · romancelet · cyberromance · metahistorical romance · paranormal romance · romaction · thrillmance
Descendants
Translations (117)
ja ロマンス (idealized love) · cmn 言情小說 /言情小说 (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · ru рома́нс (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · bg любо́вна исто́рия (intimate relationship, love affair) · ko 연애 (intimate relationship, love affair) · bg рома́нс (music: sentimental piece of music) · fr romance (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · tl romansa (intimate relationship, love affair) · ja ロマンチックラブ (idealized love) · fi romanttinen rakkaus (idealized love) · cmn 戀愛 /恋爱 (intimate relationship, love affair) · el ρομάντζο (intimate relationship, love affair) · nn romanse (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · eo romaneco (dreamy, imaginative habit of mind) · fi kiehtova piirre (mysterious, fascinating quality) · fr romance (intimate relationship, love affair) · be рама́нс (music: sentimental piece of music) · ru рома́н (idealized love) · ja ロマンス (intimate relationship, love affair) · it atmosfera fantasiosa (mysterious, fascinating quality) · gv cooish ghraih (intimate relationship, love affair) · it idillio (idealized love) · fi intohimo (strong obsession or attachment) · bg ри́царски рома́н (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · fr romance (idealized love) · pl romantyka (mysterious, fascinating quality) · ko 로망스 (music: sentimental piece of music) · ja 伝奇小説 (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · fi romanssi (music: sentimental piece of music) · vi lãng mạn (intimate relationship, love affair) · ru романти́ческая любо́вь (idealized love) · de Liebesgeschichte (intimate relationship, love affair) · de Liebesgeschichte (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · cmn 浪漫 (mysterious, fascinating quality) · it storia d'amore (intimate relationship, love affair) · de Minne (idealized love) · mi paki whaiāipo (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · fi ritaritarina (story relating to chivalry) · be рама́н (intimate relationship, love affair) · cmn 浪漫 (intimate relationship, love affair) · ja ロマンス (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · nn romanse (intimate relationship, love affair) · de Romanze (music: sentimental piece of music) · sah романс (music: sentimental piece of music) · nb romanse (intimate relationship, love affair) · de Romanze (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · it romanza (music: sentimental piece of music) · bg неби́валица (embellished account) · pl romans (music: sentimental piece of music) · ru рома́нтика (mysterious, fascinating quality) · ga scéal ridireachta (story relating to chivalry) · fi romanssi (intimate relationship, love affair) · uk рома́н (intimate relationship, love affair) · it romanticheria (idealized love) · tyv романс (music: sentimental piece of music) · mi kōrero takuahi (embellished account) · cmn 愛情小說 /爱情小说 (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · ru романти́ческая по́весть (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · de große Liebe (idealized love) · fi ritariballadi (story relating to chivalry) · nn romanse (music: sentimental piece of music) · uk рома́нс (music: sentimental piece of music) · pl romans (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · ja 恋愛 (intimate relationship, love affair) · ja 恋 (intimate relationship, love affair) · cmn 羅曼司 /罗曼司 (music: sentimental piece of music) · ja ロマンス (music: sentimental piece of music) · sv kärleksroman (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · km ប្រលោមលោក (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · fr idylle (idealized love) · fi haaveellisuus (dreamy, imaginative habit of mind) · fi romanttisuus (dreamy, imaginative habit of mind) · ko 로맨스 (idealized love) · cmn 浪漫曲 (music: sentimental piece of music) · it esagerazione fantasiosa (embellished account) · fr idylle (intimate relationship, love affair) · fi rakkausromaani (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · ca romanço (series of extraordinary events, resembling those narrated in romances) · ru рома́нтика (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · fr romance (music: sentimental piece of music) · ru рома́нс (music: sentimental piece of music) · ar رُومَانْسِيَّة (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · bg ри́царски рома́н (story relating to chivalry) · ko 로맨스 (intimate relationship, love affair) · cmn 浪漫史 (music: sentimental piece of music) · cmn 戀愛小說 /恋爱小说 (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · es romance (intimate relationship, love affair) · pl romans (intimate relationship, love affair) · ja ロマンチックな愛 (idealized love) · mi mate kanehe (intimate relationship, love affair) · nb romanse (music: sentimental piece of music) · de romantische Liebe (idealized love) · ar رُومَانْسِيَّة (music: sentimental piece of music) · nb romanse (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · ja 伝奇 (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · hu szerelem (intimate relationship, love affair) · cmn 羅曼蒂克 /罗曼蒂克 (mysterious, fascinating quality) · pt romance (intimate relationship, love affair) · ko 련애 (intimate relationship, love affair) · cmn 浪漫 (idealized love) · vi lãng mạn (idealized love) · fr amour romantique (idealized love) · bo འཆར་ཡན་རོལ་དབྱངས (music: sentimental piece of music) · ca romança (music: sentimental piece of music) · cmn 言情 (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · fi romanttinen kertomus (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · it poesia (mysterious, fascinating quality) · cmn 浪漫的愛情 /浪漫的爱情 (idealized love) · fi romanttinen tarina (embellished account) · hy սիրավեպ (intimate relationship, love affair) · ru рома́н (intimate relationship, love affair) · ca romanç (story relating to chivalry) · ca novel·la sentimental (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · de Romanze (intimate relationship, love affair) · hu románc (intimate relationship, love affair) · la fābula (story or novel dealing with idealized love) · tr romans (intimate relationship, love affair)