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

roman : 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

roman : 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

Here's why even more are ahead NASA's Roman telescope is in space. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026

Guests are greeted by the statue of Minerva, the ancient Roman goddess of arts, handicrafts, poetry, music and wisdom. — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2026

Italy draws millions of visitors with its beaches, quaint villages and iconic ancient Roman landmarks. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026

The man behind it was Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Roman Catholic priest. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026

Guests are also treated to a once-in-a-lifetime private dinner among the ruins of Ephesus, an ancient city on the Aegean coast of Turkey that was once part of the Greek and Roman empires. — Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026

Experts don’t yet know whether the scenes represent a utopian port city or a real place in the ancient Roman world. — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

Elsewhere in the chamber archaeologists found a fresco showing a bird’s-eye view of another Roman town with a theater, a temple, and residences. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 10 Sep. 2026

With Roman designing the rushing attack, the Ravens set an NFL record with 3,296 yards rushing in 2019. — Dan Duggan, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

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 blind
• Roman candle
• Roman Catholic
• Roman Catholicism
• Roman collar
• Roman holiday
• Roman law
• Roman nose
• Roman numeral
• Roman shade
• the Roman alphabet

Rhymes for Roman

• bowmen
• coman
• foeman
• foemen
• gnomon
• nomen
• omen
• showman
• showmen
• soman
• toman
• yeoman

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