romantic

The word “romantic” means full of feelings of love, especially idealized or passionate love; evoking that mood. In plain terms, relating to love and passion, or to the emotional 19th-century artistic movement that celebrated feeling over logic.

“Romantic” is pronounced ruh-MAN-tihk (/ɹoʊˈmæn(t)ɪk/ in IPA).

Here is “romantic” used in a sentence: “They booked a romantic candlelit table for their anniversary.”

Depending on how it is used, “romantic” can be an adjective and a noun.

The word “romantic” comes from Old French. From French romantique, ultimately tracing back to Old French romanz — the medieval tales of romance and adventure that gave the word its dreamy, idealized sense.

“Romantic” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Romantic” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: full of feelings of love, especially idealized or passionate love; evoking that mood.

Romantic describes love marked by passion, attraction, and idealised feeling — the emotion between partners. Platonic describes deep, affectionate love without that attraction, such as a close friendship. The key difference is desire and intimacy: romantic relationships involve them, while platonic ones are warm but non-romantic.

Lowercase romantic means full of love or idealised passion. Capital-R Romantic refers to Romanticism, the late-18th to 19th-century movement in art, literature, and music that prized emotion, imagination, and nature over reason. A romantic dinner and a Romantic poem use the word quite differently.

Romantic gestures evoke love and closeness — candlelit dinners, flowers, handwritten notes, a sunset walk, or a heartfelt surprise. The mood usually blends intimacy, thoughtfulness, and a touch of idealism, focusing attention on a loved one. What counts as romantic is personal, but the aim is expressing affection.