Skip to main content
Roman

Roman

18 4.2
An upright style of letters used in printed books and text
  • adjective
  • /ˈroʊmən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : romano
  • As the name implies, the style derived from certain classical elements of Roman architecture.
  • Roman numerals
  • Times New Roman
  • Roman alphabet

Examples

  • The designer chose a Roman font to give the invitations a classic look.

  • She preferred to write her essays in Roman type for a more formal presentation.

  • I expect 12 point, Roman font, at least 500 words.

  • Again, Roman style!

  • A diploma, written in Latin with a thick Roman font, hung on the wall.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • It was intended, in short, to feel familiar and subtly recall the grand tradition of Renaissance Roman fonts.

  • The architecture of the new library features Roman columns that add grandeur to the building.

Synonyms

roman type
vsRoman
  • Specialized
1 5.3

Upright letters used for normal printed text in books, not slanted like italics

is the broad modern upright style derived from those inscription letters
roman letters
vsRoman
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A style of letters with straight lines and simple shapes used in ancient Rome

applies to the same tradition but emphasizes individual letter forms not printed use
roman print
vsRoman
  • Specialized
5.1

Upright printed letters used for normal text in books and newspapers

focuses more on the overall type style across uses rather than printing alone

Compounds

Relating to the Christian church led by the Pope

27 3.9

A large ancient state based in Rome that controlled much of Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia

A person who belongs to the Christian church led by the Pope

A Christian church led by the Pope in the Vatican that has its own teachings and services

A letter from the Roman system that stands for a number, like I or V

A Christian religion led by the Pope in Rome

3 4.2

A firework that shoots colored balls or sparks into the air

A ruler of the ancient Roman Empire who has almost complete power

A group of many states in central Europe that an emperor ruled from 962 to 1806

2 5.1

A time when ancient Rome ruled much of Europe

2 3.4

A Christian church that the Pope leads in the Vatican

Roman law
  • Specialized
2 8.1

A system of rules used in ancient Rome that influenced many modern civil laws

1 7.5

A nose with a high, slightly curved bridge that gives a strong profile

Greco-Roman wrestling
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A style of wrestling where fighters can only hold above the waist and cannot use their legs

1 8.1

A group of about 3,000 to 6,000 soldiers in ancient Rome

A ruler of a group of central European territories from about 962 to 1806

Roman mythology
  • Literature
1 7.0

Stories from ancient Rome that tell about gods and heroes

An ancient Roman state from 509 BC to 27 BC ruled by an elected Senate, ending with Augustus

The eastern part of the Roman Empire that continued after 395 with its capital at Constantinople

roman à clef
  • Literature
1 9.9

A novel that gives real people made-up names so readers can guess who they are

The alphabet used to write English and many European languages

1 6.2

A curved half-circle structure that supports doorways or bridges

An ancient Roman building where people meet, hold law courts and do government business

A calendar based on the moon used in ancient Rome before the Julian calendar

1 8.4

A stiff white band that some Christian priests wear around the neck

A court set up by the Catholic Church in Italy in 1542 to punish people for new religious ideas

roman letters
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A style of letters with straight lines and simple shapes used in ancient Rome

roman type
  • Specialized
1 5.3

Upright letters used for normal printed text in books, not slanted like italics

6.5

A style of building design with columns, arches, and balanced shapes

Greco-Roman deity
  • Literature
8.9

A god from ancient Greece or Rome

A person who leads the Roman Catholic Church and is the Bishop of Rome

A way of building used by ancient Romans that uses arches, curved roofs and concrete

A building the ancient Romans built with arches, domes and vaults

The effect of ancient Roman style on later art, buildings, and everyday life

An herb from the Mediterranean with small strong seeds used as a spice like caraway

Roman deity
  • Literature
9.9

A god or goddess worshipped in ancient Rome

roman fleuve
  • Literature
9.9

A long series of novels that follow a family across generations

A spring flower that often makes several flower spikes from one bulb

An ancient Roman unit of distance equal to about 1,480 meters

Roman wormwood
  • Specialized
9.9

A small plant from northeastern North America with clusters of pink flowers tipped yellow

A European plant with bitter leaves used to flavor spirits like absinthe

9.9

A small European plant that lives one year and has stinging leaves and green flower clusters

The distance of one full step from the heel to the same heel, about five feet

roman print
  • Specialized
5.1

Upright printed letters used for normal text in books and newspapers

A group of Catholic nuns who run schools and care for children worldwide

The western part of ancient Rome that lasted from 395 to 476

Surface Forms

Roman positive

Morphology

Roman = Rome (semi-transparent) = Rome + an

Derived from 'Rome' + the adjectival suffix '-an', but the typographic meaning ('upright characters based on Roman inscriptions') is a domain-specific extension.

Etymology

Roman type takes its name from the letters used on old Roman stone writing and from the Latin Romanus, 'from Rome'. So 'Roman' style means the upright, regular letters used in most books, as opposed to slanted 'italic' letters.