Meaning & use

bildungsromane

noun·Advanced

Last updated

Novels that focus on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood.

See it in a sentence

Many literature courses include classic bildungsromane like 'Great Expectations' and 'Jane Eyre.'

Critics praised the novel as one of the finest bildungsromane of the decade.

A note on using this word

Bildungsroman is a German loanword; the singular is 'Bildungsroman,' and the plural can appear as 'Bildungsromane' or the anglicized 'Bildungsromans.'

Words with a similar meaning

coming-of-age novels

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