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REFERENCE

romantic

adj. · n.
US //ɹoʊˈmæntɪk// UK //ɹəʊmˈæntɪk// ro·man·tic
  1. 1 love and relationships (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    related to feelings of love and the desire for a close relationship.

    pertaining to an idealised form of love or the expression of affection in a relationship.

    Example

    He took her to a romantic dinner at a quiet restaurant by the lake.

    Example

    The couple spent a romantic weekend in a secluded cottage, away from the distractions of their busy city lives.
  2. 2 atmospheric or beautiful (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    making you feel a sense of wonder, beauty, or mystery.

    evoking a strong sense of imagination, beauty, or atmospheric charm.

    Example

    The old castle ruins looked very romantic in the moonlight.

    Example

    The poet found the rugged landscape deeply romantic, often spending hours sketching the mist-covered peaks.
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  1. 3 impractical or idealistic (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    having ideas that are not very practical or realistic.

    characterised by an idealised or impractical view of reality; prioritising sentiment over pragmatism.

    Example

    She has a romantic idea about living on a farm without any modern tools.

    Example

    His romantic notions of revolution were quickly challenged by the harsh political realities he encountered on the ground.
  2. 4 the Romantic movement (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Academic

    related to a style of art and literature from the 1800s that focused on strong feelings and nature.

    pertaining to Romanticism, the late 18th and 19th-century artistic and intellectual movement.

    Example

    We studied the Romantic poets like Keats and Shelley in our literature class.

    Example

    The Romantic movement was a reaction against the scientific rationalisation of nature during the Enlightenment.
  3. 5 an idealistic person (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a person who is very idealistic or who loves romantic things.

    an individual motivated by sentiment, imagination, or an idealised worldview.

    Example

    I am a bit of a romantic, so I still write letters by hand.

    Example

    Despite his cynical exterior, he remained a hopeless romantic who believed that everyone eventually finds their soulmate.
  4. 6 an artist or writer (n.)
    C1 Advanced Academic Theatre

    a writer, painter, or musician from the Romantic period.

    an artist, author, or composer associated with the Romanticism movement.

    Example

    The Romantics often wrote about the power and beauty of the natural world.

    Example

    As a true Romantic, the composer sought to express the full range of human emotion through his symphonies.

Origin

From romant + -ic, or borrowed from Late Latin romanticus (“(of a poem) having qualities of a romance”). Compare French romantique, which is borrowed from English. Also compare Spanish romántico, Portuguese romântico, Italian romantico, Dutch romantisch, and German romantisch and Romantiker (“a composer of Romantic music”), all of which are borrowed from English or French.

Word family

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