roman

roman — adjective

1. describing printed letters that stand straight up rather than leaning to one sid

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describing printed letters that stand straight up rather than leaning to one side, as normal book text does.

Example

The book's main text is set in roman type, while notes use italics.

contrast with italic in same sentence

Apinya changed the font from italic to roman in her essay.

switch between italic and roman

Common collocations
  • roman type
  • roman letters
  • roman style
  • roman font
  • set in roman
Synonyms
  • upright

    describes letter direction without naming a type style

  • regular

    common software label for the non-bold, non-italic weight

Antonyms
  • italic

    letters that lean to the right

  • oblique

    slanted type similar to italic but without cursive shapes

Grammar Patterns

used before a noun describing type style

Usage Note

Frequently used in contrast with italic or bold when describing typefaces. In word-processing software, roman is often called 'regular' or 'normal'.

Common Mistakes

Please write the title in Roman letters.
Please write the title in roman letters.
For the typography sense, lowercase roman is standard.

2. belonging to the ancient city of Rome or the vast empire it built.

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

belonging to the ancient city of Rome or the vast empire it built.

Example

Brooke visited the Roman Forum during her trip to Italy.

collocation: Roman Forum

The museum displayed Roman coins from the first century.

Grammar Patterns

used before a noun or after linking verb

Usage Note

Capitalised (Roman) for all Rome-related senses. This sense covers people, places, culture, and political institutions of ancient Rome from roughly 753 BCE to 476 CE.

3. belonging to the present-day Italian city of Rome.

3.adjectiveB1
Definition

belonging to the present-day Italian city of Rome.

Example

Lien booked a hotel in a quiet Roman neighborhood near the river.

Modern Roman restaurants serve both traditional pasta and international food.

Modern Roman + restaurants

Common collocations
  • modern Roman
  • Roman street
  • Roman restaurant
  • Roman neighborhood
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

used before a noun or after linking verb

Usage Note

Capitalised (Roman). Distinguish from the ANCIENT ROME sense (adj/2): if the context involves contemporary transport, politics, or daily life, use this sense. When the time period is unclear, readers assume the ancient sense by default.

Common Mistakes

Roman traffic is terrible during rush hour.' — This could be misunderstood as ancient Rome.
Modern Roman traffic is terrible during rush hour.
Adding 'modern' avoids confusion.

4. connected with the branch of Christianity that recognises the Pope in Rome as it

4.adjectiveB2
Definition

connected with the branch of Christianity that recognises the Pope in Rome as its leader.

Example

The Roman Catholic Church holds regular services at the local cathedral.

collocation: Roman Catholic Church

Hana attended a Roman Catholic school in her hometown for six years.

collocation: Roman Catholic school

Common collocations
  • Roman Catholic Church
  • Roman Catholic school
  • Roman Catholic faith
  • Roman Catholic tradition
Synonyms
  • Catholic

    shorter, very common, but can include Eastern Catholic churches too

  • Papal

    relates specifically to the Pope rather than the whole church

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

used before a noun

Usage Note

Always capitalised (Roman). In formal writing the full term 'Roman Catholic' is preferred over 'Catholic' when distinguishing this branch from other Christian denominations. Commonly abbreviated as RC in writing.

Common Mistakes

She is a Roman.' (meaning Catholic).
She is Roman Catholic.
Using Roman alone to mean Catholic is rare and may confuse readers.

roman — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

Roman (adj/2) refers broadly to the ancient city of Rome and its empire — its people, politics, military, architecture, and daily life. Latin more narrowly describes the language of ancient Rome and the literature written in it; a 'Latin text' is a language example, while a 'Roman text' is a historical document about Rome. Classical refers to the broader cultural period of ancient Greece and Rome, especially art, literature, and philosophy — a 'classical education' includes Greek as well as Roman works, while a 'Roman education' focuses specifically on Roman culture. Italic is the most restricted: it describes the group of ancient peoples (including Latins, Sabines, and others) who lived in the Italian peninsula before and during Rome's rise. In practice: 'Roman architecture' means the physical buildings of ancient Rome; 'classical architecture' includes Greek and Roman styles; 'Latin literature' is the body of writing in the Latin language; and 'Italic tribes' refers to pre-Roman ethnic groups.

Roman ↗Latin ↗classical ↗Italic ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Roman Empire
  • Roman law
  • Roman Catholic Church
  • roman type

Phrases

  • the Romans
  • ancient Rome
  • Roman times

Prepositions

  • in roman
  • set in roman

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word roman comes from Latin Rōmānus, meaning 'of Rome', which itself derives from Rōma, the name of the city. The typography sense (both adjective and noun) emerged in the 16th century because early printers modelled their upright typefaces on the lettering found in ancient Roman inscriptions, in contrast to the slanted italic scripts borrowed from Italian handwriting.