roman
|ro-man|
🇺🇸
/ˈroʊmən/
🇬🇧
/ˈrəʊmən/
of Rome; upright (type)
Etymology
'roman' originates from Old French 'romain' and Medieval Latin 'romanus', where 'Roma' meant 'Rome' and the suffix '-anus' denoted 'pertaining to'.
'roman' changed from Old French 'romanz/romain' (meaning matters relating to Rome or vernacular narrative) and from Medieval Latin 'romanus', and eventually became the modern English word 'roman'.
Initially it meant 'pertaining to Rome' or 'a person from Rome'; over time it also acquired senses such as 'a vernacular narrative/novel' (from Old French use) and the typographic sense 'upright type'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a native or inhabitant of ancient Rome, or a citizen of the Roman Empire.
The roman soldier marched along the road.
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Noun 2
typographical term for upright (non-italic) type; 'roman type'.
Please set the headings in roman rather than italic.
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Noun 3
a (French) novel; used in English mainly in expressions such as 'roman à clef'.
He published a roman that thinly veiled his own life.
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Adjective 1
of or relating to Rome, its people, culture, or language (ancient or modern).
They studied roman law and customs.
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Adjective 2
relating to the Roman Empire or ancient Roman civilization.
The museum has many roman artifacts from the empire.
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Last updated: 2025/11/17 08:19