Roman

1 of 3

noun (1)

Ro·​man ˈrō-mən How to pronounce Roman (audio)
1
a
: a native or resident of Rome
b
: a citizen of ancient Rome or of the Roman Empire
2
often offensive : roman catholic
3
not capitalized : roman letters or type

Roman

2 of 3

adjective

1
: of or relating to Rome or the people of Rome
specifically : characteristic of the ancient Romans
Roman fortitude
2
b
: of or relating to the Latin alphabet
3
not capitalized : of or relating to a type style with upright characters compare italic
4
: of or relating to the see of Rome or the Roman Catholic Church
5
: having a semicircular intrados
Roman arch
6
: having a prominent slightly aquiline bridge
a Roman nose

roman

3 of 3

noun (2)

ro·​man rō-ˈmäⁿ How to pronounce roman (audio)
: a metrical romance

Examples of Roman in a Sentence

Noun (1) The type should be set in roman.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
In antiquity, Roman enslaved workers, free men and convicts removed marble from these mountains with wedges and picks to build Trajan’s Column and parts of the Pantheon. Elaine Sciolino, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Dec. 2023 Over the centuries, it was looted by conquering Roman generals, seized by Alaric the Goth and blown up by the Venetians in 1687. William Booth, Washington Post, 28 Nov. 2023 This June, another layer of history was added to the grand Piazza Augusto Imperatore, which houses the mausoleum of the first Roman emperor, Augustus: the Bulgari Hotel Roma. Liam Hess, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2023 Even after a couple of millennia, Cleopatra in her split skirts was still an affront to the apostles of Roman Catholic life. Andrew O’Hagan, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023 Jewish sovereignty ended 2,000 years earlier, in the year 70 A.D. at the hands of the Roman conquest. Maeghan Dolph, Fox News, 22 Nov. 2023 From there a new art, drawing on Greek and Roman traditions and transformed by fresh intellectual and spiritual impulses from farther east, evolved and radiated outward. Holland Cotter, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023 This year’s missives include a typically eclectic selection, ranging from a 2,000-year-old letter from Roman philosopher Pliny to a message sent just a few weeks ago to British politician Suella Braverman from comedian Joe Lycett. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 16 Nov. 2023 The mortar of China’s Great Wall and Forbidden City was made with starch and sticky rice, while the Roman architect Vitruvius, in his book De Architectura, recommends cooking oil as a means to make lime waterproof. Tim Brinkhof, Discover Magazine, 15 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Roman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

partly from Middle English, from Old English, from Latin Romanus, adjective & noun, from Roma Rome; partly from Middle English Romain, from Anglo-French, from Latin Romanus

Noun (2)

French, from Old French romans romance

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1765, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Roman was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near Roman

Cite this Entry

“Roman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Roman. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

Roman

1 of 2 noun
Ro·​man ˈrō-mən How to pronounce Roman (audio)
1
a
: a person born or living in Rome
b
: a citizen of the Roman Empire
2
not capitalized : roman letters or type

Roman

2 of 2 adjective
1
: of or relating to Rome or the Romans or the empire of which Rome was the original capital
2
b
: of or relating to the Latin language
3
not capitalized : of or relating to a type style with upright characters (as in "these definitions")
4
: of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church
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