Romanesque
adjective
Ro·man·esque
ˌrō-mə-ˈnesk 
: of or relating to a style of architecture developed in Italy and western Europe between the Roman and the Gothic styles and characterized in its development after 1000 by the use of the round arch and vault, substitution of piers for columns, decorative use of arcades, and profuse ornament
Romanesque
noun
Examples of Romanesque in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Nearly 92% of the nation—one of the world’s smallest, measuring about 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC—is blanketed in forest, the occasional Romanesque church crowning valleys like a star on a Christmas tree.
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Lane Nieset, Vogue, 14 Nov. 2023
In addition to the original Victorian Gothic structure by Calvert Vaux and J. Wrey Mould, the AMNH complex is also made up of Romanesque and Neoclassical buildings.
—Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2023
Pointed Arches Rather than the rounded arches typical of the earlier Romanesque style, Gothic architecture is known for arches that come to a steep point.
—Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 14 July 2023
The Boss From Beijing Prato’s Chinatown starts just outside the stone ramparts, narrow lanes and Romanesque cathedral of the city’s historic center.
—Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 12 July 2023
The three-story Romanesque edifice was home to the city’s oldest continuously operating gay bathhouse, a haven for gay men at a time of rampant prejudice.
—Robert Klara, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2023
The new hotel at 354 W. Jefferson St. will incorporate the ornate Romanesque style turn-of-the-century building that was originally the Gardner School until 1972, when it was then repurposed as the Valparaiso Boys and Girls Club, with a gym later attached.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2023
Edward the Confessor, the Anglo-Saxon king who was later made a saint, had a Romanesque church constructed on the site, beside his palace.
—Peter Ross, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2023
Home: This is a 9-bed, 3-bath, 15,000-square-foot Richardsonian Romanesque Victorian mansion that was built in 1894 in Jeffersonville, Indiana on the banks of the Ohio River.
—Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 11 Mar. 2021
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Lane Nieset, Vogue, 14 Nov. 2023
In addition to the original Victorian Gothic structure by Calvert Vaux and J. Wrey Mould, the AMNH complex is also made up of Romanesque and Neoclassical buildings.
—Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2023
Pointed Arches Rather than the rounded arches typical of the earlier Romanesque style, Gothic architecture is known for arches that come to a steep point.
—Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 14 July 2023
The Boss From Beijing Prato’s Chinatown starts just outside the stone ramparts, narrow lanes and Romanesque cathedral of the city’s historic center.
—Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 12 July 2023
The three-story Romanesque edifice was home to the city’s oldest continuously operating gay bathhouse, a haven for gay men at a time of rampant prejudice.
—Robert Klara, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2023
The new hotel at 354 W. Jefferson St. will incorporate the ornate Romanesque style turn-of-the-century building that was originally the Gardner School until 1972, when it was then repurposed as the Valparaiso Boys and Girls Club, with a gym later attached.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2023
Edward the Confessor, the Anglo-Saxon king who was later made a saint, had a Romanesque church constructed on the site, beside his palace.
—Peter Ross, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2023
Home: This is a 9-bed, 3-bath, 15,000-square-foot Richardsonian Romanesque Victorian mansion that was built in 1894 in Jeffersonville, Indiana on the banks of the Ohio River.
—Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 11 Mar. 2021
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Romanesque.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1819, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near Romanesque
Cite this Entry
“Romanesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Romanesque. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
Romanesque
adjective
Ro·man·esque
ˌrō-mə-ˈnesk
: relating to or being an old style of architecture (as for churches) coming before Gothic architecture and having round arches, thick heavy walls, and few small windows
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