Etymology

roman à clef

Today it means: A piece of fiction, especially a novel, describing real-life people or events. Full definition →

French roman à clef
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The story

  1. French · borrowed fromroman à clef
  2. English todayroman à clef

Borrowed from French roman à clef (literally “novel with a key”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.