noun
- a long medieval narrative in verse or prose, orig. written in one of the Romance dialects, about the adventures of knights and other chivalric heroes
- a fictitious tale of wonderful and extraordinary events, characterized by a nonrealistic and idealizing use of the imagination
- a type of novel in which the emphasis is on love, adventure, etc.
- the type of literature comprising such stories
- excitement, love, and adventure of the kind found in such literature; romantic quality or spirit
- the tendency to derive great pleasure from romantic adventures; romantic sentiment
- an exaggeration or fabrication that has no real substance
- a love affair
- Music a short, lyrical, usually sentimental piece, suggesting a love song
Origin:
ME < OFr romanz < romanz (escrire), (to write) in Roman (i.e., the vernacular, not Latin) < VL Romanice (scribere) < L Romanicus, Roman
intransitive verb romanced, romancing
- to make up false or exaggerated stories
- to think or talk about romantic things
- Informal to make love; court; woo