WordValeromanticism
a movement prizing emotion, nature, and the individual
In more detail
1. (noun) a movement in art, literature, and music in the late 18th and 19th centuries that emphasized emotion, imagination, and nature over reason and order
2. (noun) the quality of being romantic; a tendency to think of things in an idealized or sentimental way rather than realistically
Examples
- Romanticism influenced composers like Beethoven and writers like Byron.
- Her romanticism about love made her believe in fairy-tale endings.
How to use romanticism
Romanticism can refer either to the historical artistic and literary movement of the 18th-19th centuries (capitalized when used as a proper noun for the movement) or to the general human tendency toward idealization and emotional expression in any era. In the latter sense, it often carries a mildly critical undertone, suggesting an unrealistic or sentimental view of reality.
Common phrases
- Romantic period
- Romantic era
- Romantic movement
- embrace romanticism
- steeped in romanticism
Synonyms
idealism · sentimentality · nostalgia · escapism · utopianism
Opposites
realism · pragmatism · rationalism
Word family
romantic (adjective, noun) · romanticist (noun) · romanticize (verb) · romantically (adverb)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse Romanticism (the historical movement) with romance or romantic love, though the movement was much broader in scope and concerned with emotion and nature generally, not just love.
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