Romanticism
|ro-man-tis-ism|
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/roʊˈmæntɪsɪzəm/
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/rəˈmæntɪsɪz(ə)m/
emotion and imagination over reason
Etymology
'Romanticism' originates from French, specifically the word 'romantisme', where 'romant-' comes from Old French 'romanz' (from Vulgar Latin 'romanice') meaning 'in the Roman (vernacular) language' and later associated with tales of chivalry and adventure.
'Romanticism' developed in English from the adjective 'romantic' (late 18th century), which itself came from French 'romant'/'romantique' derived from Old French 'romanz'. The noun form 'romantisme' in French influenced the English coinage 'Romanticism' around the turn of the 19th century.
Initially linked to 'romance' (stories in the vernacular and later tales of adventure and love), the term shifted to denote a broader aesthetic and intellectual movement emphasizing emotion, imagination, and the sublime rather than its original sense of 'romantic tale'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a literary, artistic, and intellectual movement (late 18th–early 19th century) that emphasized emotion, individual imagination, the sublime in nature, and a reaction against Enlightenment rationalism and industrialization.
Romanticism in literature prized feeling and imagination over classical form and strict rules.
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Noun 2
the quality or spirit of being romantic: sentimentality, idealization of love, or an emphasis on emotion and dreamy imagination in personal relationships or art.
There was a strong Romanticism in his poetry, full of longing and idealized love.
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Noun 3
a tendency to idealize the past, heroic deeds, or the picturesque and sublime; a preference for dramatic, emotional, or fantastical interpretation over sober realism.
His account of the expedition was full of Romanticism, turning ordinary hardships into heroic episodes.
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Last updated: 2025/11/20 11:51