romantic

The story

1. LatinRōma
2. LatinRōmānus
3. Latinrōmānicus
4. Vulgar Latinrōmānicē
5. Old Frenchromanz
6. Old Frenchromaunt
7. Englishromant
8. English todayromantic

From romant + -ic, or borrowed from Late Latin romanticus (“(of a poem) having qualities of a romance”). Compare French romantique, which is borrowed from English. Also compare Spanish romántico, Portuguese romântico, Italian romantico, Dutch romantisch, and German romantisch and Romantiker (“a composer of Romantic music”), all of which are borrowed from English or French.

First known use, by meaning

• from 17th c. Of a work of literature, a writer etc.: being like or having the characteristics of a romance, or poetic tale of a mythic or quasi-historical time; fantastic.
• 17th–20th c. Fictitious, imaginary.
• from 17th c. Fantastic, unrealistic (of an idea etc.); fanciful, sentimental, impractical (of a person).
• from 17th c. Having the qualities of romance (in the sense of something appealing deeply to the imagination); invoking on a powerfully sentimental idea of life; evocative, atmospheric.
• from 18th c. Pertaining to an idealised form of love (originally, as might be felt by the heroes of a romance); conducive to romance; loving, affectionate.
• from 18th c. Alternative letter-case form of Romantic
• from 21st c. Experiencing romantic attraction.