anti-romance
|an-ti-ro-mance|
🇺🇸
/ˌæntiˈroʊmæns/
🇬🇧
/ˌæntiˈrɒmæns/
against conventional romance
Etymology
'anti-romance' originates from Modern English, combining the prefix 'anti-' from Greek (specifically the word 'anti' meaning 'against') and the noun 'romance' (ultimately from Old French 'romanz').
'romance' changed from Old French word 'romanz' (referring to vernacular tales in the Romance language) into Middle English 'romance' and eventually the modern English 'romance'; the combining form 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti') has long been used in English to form compounds meaning 'against' + [noun].
Initially a literal combination meaning 'against romance', the term has come to be used in modern literary and cultural discussion to label works, attitudes, or styles that subvert, critique, or reject conventional romantic tropes.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a work, genre, or movement that intentionally subverts, rejects, or critiques the conventions of traditional romance (romantic love stories), often presenting cynical, unglamorous, or realistic portrayals of relationships.
The novel is an anti-romance that exposes the messy, unromantic realities of modern relationships.
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Adjective 1
opposed to or critical of conventional romantic love or romance narratives; describing an attitude, style, or element that undermines romantic tropes.
Her anti-romance approach to storytelling avoids idealized lovers and happy-ever-after endings.
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Last updated: 2025/11/20 10:22