pre-romanticism
noun
pre-ro·man·ti·cism
ˌprē-rō-ˈman-tə-ˌsi-zəm 
-rə-
variants
or less commonly pre-Romanticism
or Pre-Romanticism
: a cultural shift of the mid- to late-18th century that preceded and gave rise to Romanticism
… Pre-Romanticism was not really an intellectual movement per se. It is, rather, a label given by modern commentators to various developments that signal the dissolution of the Enlightenment paradigm and the emergence of new approaches.—
Walter Kudrycz
Walter KudryczThroughout the eighteenth century, all over Europe, signs appeared of new interests and new feelings about neglected elements in life and art. This is sometimes called eighteenth-century romanticism or pre-romanticism.—Jacques Barzun
Jacques Barzun
pre-romantic
ˌprē-rō-ˈman-tik
adjective
-rə-
or less commonly pre-Romantic
or Pre-Romantic
pre-romantic music
a pre-Romantic composer/poet
the Pre-Romantic era
Each chapter has a hilarious heading, revealing Weldon's affinity with the pre-Romantic tradition of Sterne and Swift.
—Anne Harris
Anne Harris
Cite this Entry
“Pre-romanticism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pre-romanticism. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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