Romance, n.
Etymology: [OE. romance, romant, romaunt, OF. romanz, romans, romant, roman, F. roman, romance, fr. LL. Romanice in the Roman language, in the vulgar tongue, i. e., in the vulgar language which sprang from Latin, the language of the Romans, and hence applied to fictitious compositions written in this vulgar tongue; fr. L. Romanicus Roman, fr. Romanus. See Roman, and cf. Romanic, Romaunt, Romansch, Romanza.]
1. A species of fictitious writing, originally composed in meter in the Romance dialects, and afterward in prose, such as the tales of the court of Arthur, and of Amadis of Gaul; hence, any fictitious and wonderful tale; a sort of novel, especially one which treats of surprising adventures usually befalling a hero or a heroine; a tale of extravagant adventures, of love, and the like. "Romances that been royal." Chaucer. Upon these three columns -- chivalry, gallantry, and religion -- repose the fictions of the Middle Ages, especially those known as romances. These, such as we now know them, and such as display the characteristics above mentioned, were originally metrical, and chiefly written by nations of the north of France. Hallam.
2. An adventure, or series of extraordinary events, resembling those narrated in romances; as, his courtship, or his life, was a romance.
3. A dreamy, imaginative habit of mind; a disposition to ignore what is real; as, a girl full of romance.
4. The languages, or rather the several dialects, which were originally forms of popular or vulgar Latin, and have now developed into Italian. Spanish, French, etc. (called the Romanic languages).
3 more senses
5. (Mus.)
A short lyric tale set to music; a song or short instrumental piece in ballad style; a romanza.
Syn. -- Fable; novel; fiction; tale.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Romance, a.
Of or pertaining to the language or dialects known as Romance.
Romance, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Romanced; p. pr. & vb. n. Romancing.]
To write or tell romances; to indulge in extravagant stories. A very brave officer, but apt to romance. Walpole.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for romance; he lists it under dream, fiction.
Where he writes about it:
Fiction is now chiefly used of a prose work in narrative form in which the characters are partly or wholly imaginary, and which is designed to portray human life, with or without a practical lesson; a romance portrays what is picturesque or striking, as a mere fiction may not do; novel is a general name for any continuous fictitious narrative, especially a love-story; fiction and novel are used with little difference of meaning, except that novel characterizes a work in which the emotional element is especially prominent. — from fiction