anti-romanticism
|an-ti-ro-man-ti-cism|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ti.roʊˈmæn.tɪ.sɪ.zəm/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.ti.rəˈmæn.tɪ.sɪ.zəm/
against romanticism
Etymology
'anti-romanticism' is formed in modern English from the prefix 'anti-' (meaning 'against') + 'romanticism' (the noun formed from 'romantic' + '-ism').
'romanticism' comes from French 'romantisme' (from 'romantique'), which in turn derives from Italian/French forms related to 'romance' (originally meaning vernacular tale or language); the prefix 'anti-' comes from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against', and the compounds combined in English to form 'anti-romanticism' in the 19th–20th centuries.
Initially, components referred separately to 'against' and to the movement or attitudes of 'romanticism'; over time the compound took on the specific meaning of opposition to Romanticism or to romanticized ideas generally.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
opposition to the principles, style, or attitudes associated with Romanticism (the artistic and intellectual movement emphasizing emotion, individualism, and nature).
The critic's essay promoted anti-romanticism, arguing that sentimentality had weakened contemporary poetry.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
a stance or tendency to reject romantic notions about love, heroism, or idealism in favor of realism or skepticism.
Her anti-romanticism led her to prefer pragmatic partnerships over dramatic love stories.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/20 10:33