antiromance
|an-ti-ro-mance|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.tiˈroʊ.mæns/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tiˈrəʊ.mæns/
against romance
Etymology
'antiromance' originates from combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek anti meaning 'against') with 'romance' (from Old French 'romanz' referring to vernacular tales, ultimately from Latin 'Romanicus'/'romanice' meaning 'in the Roman tongue').
'romance' changed from Old French 'romanz' (vernacular narrative) into Middle English 'romance' and eventually the modern English 'romance'; the prefix 'anti-' entered English via Latin/Greek use as a combining form, producing compounds such as 'anti-' + 'romance' to form 'antiromance'.
Originally 'romance' referred to narratives in the vernacular (related to 'Roman'); over time it came to denote tales of chivalry and later love stories; combining with 'anti-' created a modern coinage meaning 'against or subverting romance'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a literary or cinematic work that intentionally subverts, satirizes, or opposes the conventions of traditional romance (love-story) genres.
The novel is an antiromance that refuses to reward the lovers with a happy ending.
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Noun 2
a disposition or attitude characterized by aversion to, rejection of, or indifference toward romantic relationships or romantic sentiment.
His antiromance made it hard for him to form long-term relationships.
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Adjective 1
opposing or rejecting the ideas or tropes typically associated with romance; used attributively (often hyphenated as 'anti-romance').
The film uses an antiromance approach to critique idealized love.
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Last updated: 2025/09/09 07:46