romantic

a. [ F. romantique, fr. OF. romant. See Romance. ] 1. Of or pertaining to romance; involving or resembling romance; hence, fanciful; marvelous; extravagant; unreal; as, a romantic tale; a romantic notion; a romantic undertaking. [ 1913 Webster ]

Can anything in nature be imagined more profane and impious, more absurd, and undeed romantic, than such a persuasion? South. [ 1913 Webster ]

Zeal for the good of one's country a party of men have represented as chimerical and romantic. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Entertaining ideas and expectations suited to a romance; as, a romantic person; a romantic mind. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Of or pertaining to the style of the Christian and popular literature of the Middle Ages, as opposed to the classical antique; of the nature of, or appropriate to, that style; as, the romantic school of poets. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Characterized by strangeness or variety; suggestive of adventure; suited to romance; wild; picturesque; -- applied to scenery; as, a romantic landscape. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Sentimental; fanciful; fantastic; fictitious; extravagant; wild; chimerical. See Sentimental. [ 1913 Webster ]

The romantic drama. See under Drama. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Romantic. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a romantic manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ CF. It. romanticismo, F. romantisme, romanticisme. ] A fondness for romantic characteristics or peculiarities; specifically, in modern literature, an aiming at romantic effects; -- applied to the productions of a school of writers who sought to revive certain medi&unr_;val forms and methods in opposition to the so-called classical style. [ 1913 Webster ]

He [ Lessing ] may be said to have begun the revolt from pseudo-classicism in poetry, and to have been thus unconsciously the founder of romanticism. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who advocates romanticism in modern literature. J. R. Seeley. [ 1913 Webster ]