Roman

1 of 3

noun (1)

Ro·​man ˈrō-mən 

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

a

: latin sense 1a

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 

: 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

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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

Phrases Containing Roman

• Holy Roman Empire
• Roman candle
• Roman collar
• Roman Catholic
• Roman nose
• Roman holiday
• Roman numeral
• the Roman alphabet
• Roman Catholicism

• Holy Roman Empire
• Roman candle
• Roman collar
• Roman Catholic
• Roman nose
• Roman holiday
• Roman numeral
• the Roman alphabet
• Roman Catholicism

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Kids Definition

Roman

1 of 2 noun

Ro·​man ˈrō-mən 

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

a

: latin entry 1 sense 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