See also: Romantic and romàntic

English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From romant +‎ -ic, or borrowed from Late Latin romanticus ((of a poem) having qualities of a romance). Compare French romantique, which is borrowed from English. Also compare Spanish romántico, Portuguese romântico, Italian romantico, Dutch romantisch, and German romantisch and Romantiker (a composer of Romantic music), all of which are borrowed from English or French.[1]

Pronunciation edit

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ɹəʊˈmæntɪk/, /ɹə-/
  • (General American) enPR: rō-mănʹ(t)ĭk, IPA(key): /ɹoʊˈmæn(t)ɪk/, [ɹoʊˈmæntɪk], [ɹə-], [-mæɾ̃ɪk], [-meə̯ntɪk], [-meə̯ɾ̃ɪk]
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -æntɪk

Adjective edit

romantic (comparative more romantic, superlative most romantic)

  1. (chiefly historical) Of a work of literature, a writer etc.: being like or having the characteristics of a romance, or poetic tale of a mythic or quasi-historical time; fantastic. [from 17th c.]
  2. (obsolete) Fictitious, imaginary. [17th–20th c.]
  3. Fantastic, unrealistic (of an idea etc.); fanciful, sentimental, impractical (of a person). [from 17th c.]
    Mary sighed, knowing her ideals were far too romantic to work in reality.
  4. Having the qualities of romance (in the sense of something appealing deeply to the imagination); invoking on a powerfully sentimental idea of life; evocative, atmospheric. [from 17th c.]
    • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 1, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:
      But here is an artist. He desires to paint you the dreamiest, shadiest, quietest, most enchanting bit of romantic landscape in all the valley of the Saco.
    • 1897, Henry James, What Maisie Knew:
      Somehow she wasn't a real sister, but that only made her the more romantic.
    • 2013 June 1, “End of the peer show”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 71:
      Finance is seldom romantic. But the idea of peer-to-peer lending comes close. This is an industry that brings together individual savers and lenders on online platforms. Those that want to borrow are matched with those that want to lend.
  5. Pertaining to an idealised form of love (originally, as might be felt by the heroes of a romance); conducive to romance; loving, affectionate. [from 18th c.]
    Antonyms: platonic, nonsexual
    Their kiss started casually, but it slowly turned romantic.
  6. Alternative form of Romantic [from 18th c.]
  7. Experiencing romantic attraction. [from 21st c.]
    Synonyms: allo (informal), alloromantic
    Antonym: aromantic
    • 2010, Kristin S. Scherrer, “Asexual Relationships: What Does Asexuality Have to Do with Polyamory?”, in Meg Barker, Darren Langdridge, editors, Understanding Non-Monogamies, New York, N.Y., London: Routledge, →ISBN, page 154:
      Elsewhere, I describe that, in addition to an asexual identity, another salient identity for asexual individuals may be a romantic or aromantic identity, which designates an interest (or lack thereof) in monogamous, intimate relationships (Scherrer, 2008).
    • 2014, Karli June Cerankowski, Megan Milks, “Introduction: Why Asexuality? Why Now?”, in Asexualities: Feminist and Queer Perspectives (Routledge Research in Gender and Society), New York, N.Y., London: Routledge, →ISBN, page 2:
      What is relatively “new” is the formation of communities around the common language of asexuality as it is understood today—communities in which new categories exist around the concept of asexuality or “being ace,” where people can discuss romantic or aromantic orientations in relation to or apart from sexual desires or non-desires.
    • 2019, Julie Xuemei Hu, Shondrah Tarrezz Nash, “Sexuality and Sexual Relationships throughout Life”, in Marriage and the Family: Mirror of a Diverse Global Society, Routledge, →ISBN:
      Grayromantic asexual people are between romantic and aromantic and less likely to experience romantic attraction compared to most people.

Antonyms edit

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

Noun edit

romantic (plural romantics)

  1. A person with romantic character (a character like those of the knights in a mythic romance).
  2. A person who is behaving romantically (in a manner befitting someone who feels an idealized form of love).
    Oh, flowers! You're such a romantic.

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

  • French: romantique
  • Italian: romantico

Translations edit

References edit

  1. ^ "romantic, adj. and n.", OED Online, revised Nov. 2010 for Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed.. Oxford University Press.

Further reading edit

  • "romantic" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 274.

Romanian edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from French romantique.

Adjective edit

romantic m or n (feminine singular romantică, masculine plural romantici, feminine and neuter plural romantice)

  1. romantic

Declension edit