romanticization

noun

Definition of romanticizationnext
as in idealization

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of romanticization His signature fusion of gore and glamor has caught him some flak over the years, most prominently around the romanticization of harrowing true crime events. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026 It is characterized by a romanticization of traditional elite academia, references to classic literature, and a mysterious atmosphere. — Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026 The romanticization of the uncorrupted mother continent took over. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026 More significant, the industrial interiors avoid romanticization. — Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2025 But Saiz is worried that the romanticization of volunteering on social media has minimized the importance of such preparation. — Georgiana Ralphs, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025 There’s some wisdom in their depiction of how Kafka’s personal and creative struggles are vulnerable to romanticization by educators, curators and indeed by filmmakers, whether or not Holland counts herself in that bracket. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for romanticization
  1. idealization
  2. glorification
  3. adoration
  4. reverence
  5. deference
Noun
  • How to critique technological solutionism without embracing rural idealization and nostalgia of the kind entangled with nationalism and völkisch thought?
    — Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Neptune, on the other hand, is the planet of dreams, illusions, spirituality, idealization, confusion and surrender.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Definition of idealization
Noun
  • Grande became the face of an ongoing conversation around health, and the cultural pendulum swing away from body positivity to the glorification of thinness, ignited by the proliferation of weight-loss drugs.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Declinism, on the other hand, is an unrealistic glorification of the past coupled with the belief that things are steadily going downhill.
    — Markham Heid, Time, 8 July 2026
Definition of glorification
Noun
  • And yet, when Szumowska and Englert portray Fyodor’s reaction to the couple’s pregnancy, the birth of their child, and a subsequent tragedy, Anna’s adoration for this utterly flawed man almost feels justified.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • So, too, do the antics of his estate manager (a buoyant Sam Adegoke), always concocting money-making schemes, and the wide-eyed adoration of the girl next door (Amelia Mason, deftly balancing naïveté with seductiveness), who wants to save him.
    — Rhoda Feng, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of adoration
Noun
  • The importance of his work, the difficulty of it—the Hollywood reverence almost distorts it.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Each critic portrayed the historical monument as an object of reverence owing to age, with specific reference to the psycho-historical implications of restoration or, conversely, of neglect.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of reverence
Noun
  • Some took that disavowal not as deference but jujitsu, or a form of political psy-ops directed at the governor’s longtime frenemy.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Under the measure, judges would have to largely give deference to a government agency’s decision to approve a project, provided the agency can show that decision was supported by substantial evidence.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of deference

Browse Nearby Words

romanticists
romanticization
romanticizations
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Cite this Entry

“Romanticization.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/romanticization. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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