What does romance mean?
Romance most often names a love affair or a tender, idealized relationship, but it also has broader uses. As a noun, it can refer to a literary work centered on romantic love and adventure, often with a formulaic plot, or to an idealized conception of love itself. As a verb, it means to court or woo someone and is especially common in North American English. In literary and critical contexts, the word may sometimes imply that love, emotion, or narrative conventions are excessively idealized or sentimental. The term Romance also names the group of languages descended from Latin, especially those historically spoken in France, Iberia, and Italy. Because of this layered history, romance can describe an intimate relationship, a familiar kind of story, a mode of storytelling, and a family of languages. The word is especially useful for recognizing how love is presented as a subject, an experience, and a narrative tradition.
A love affair or affectionate relationship, especially one regarded as intense or idealized; also a literary work centered on romantic love and emotional adventure.
"The archive contains letters from their brief romance."
To court or seek to win someone's love, especially by expressing affection or devotion.
"He romanced her over dinner and long walks by the river."
This use is especially common in North American English.
Relating to romantic love or to the literary genre of romance.
"She writes romance fiction for digital readers."
The adjectival use is usually attributive, as in romance novel or romance fiction.
Romance is countable when referring to individual relationships or literary works; it can also be used uncountably for romantic feeling or the broader tradition.
"Their early romances ended before they settled down."
The word romance originally referred not to love, but to the Romance languages—the tongue of Rome.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does romance come from?
Romance entered Middle English from Anglo-Norman French and Old French romance, which derives from Latin Romanice, meaning “in the Roman manner.” In English, the word initially denoted a language of Roman origin before acquiring senses connected with love and later literary narratives. Its relatives include Roman and Rome, while romantic continues the same Roman-associated vocabulary.
Related word forms
How romance is actually used
As a literary category, romance can sometimes be used critically to suggest that its plots or emotions are formulaic or excessively idealized. As a verb, romance is especially common in North American English; the verb meaning to court or woo is less common in standard British usage.
Easily confused with romance
Romance is chiefly a noun naming a relationship, story, or literary mode, or a verb meaning to woo; romantic is chiefly an adjective describing love, feelings, people, or things associated with romance.