bildungsroman

noun

bil·dungs·ro·man ˈbil-du̇ŋ(k)s-rō-ˌmän How to pronounce bildungsroman (audio)

-du̇ŋz-

literature : a novel about the moral and psychological growth of the main character

a bildungsroman by Charles Dickens

Did you know?

Bildungsroman is the combination of two German words: Bildung, meaning "education," and Roman, meaning "novel." Fittingly, a bildungsroman is a novel that deals with the formative years of the main character, and in particular, with the character's psychological development and moral education. The bildungsroman usually ends on a positive note, with the hero's foolish mistakes and painful disappointments over, and a life of usefulness ahead. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's late 18th-century work Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre (Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship) is often cited as the classic example of a bildungsroman. Though the term is primarily applied to novels, in recent years some English speakers have begun to apply it to films that deal with a youthful character's coming-of-age.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web For the past five years, Srinivasan has been living a Silicon Valley bildungsroman.

Anthony Lydgate, WIRED, 6 Sep. 2022 Layered atop the bildungsroman–slash–murder mystery is a courtroom drama, wildlife commentary, and a cast of thinly drawn supporting characters.

Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 15 July 2022 When Bran, the protagonist of this offbeat bildungsroman, is ten years old, her mother joins a Buddhist colony, abandoning her to the dubious care of her common-law stepfather.

The New Yorker, 13 June 2022 At this point, isotopes in Fred’s tusks began recording a mastodon bildungsroman of sorts, as the animal struggled to come to terms with onrushing adulthood.

Peter Brannen, The Atlantic, 22 June 2022 Not even a bildungsroman can avoid the shadow of the 45th president.

Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 18 May 2022 The poet and novelist Ben Lerner’s treatment of the sport in this moody bildungsroman is a must-hit.

Bo Seo, The Atlantic, 1 June 2022 In its understated way, this can be read as the apogee of the bildungsroman traced by Gunn’s poetic oeuvre, as the moment the occluded requires no agency to declare itself, and the closet is revealed without shame or obfuscation.

Mark Ford, The New York Review of Books, 25 May 2022 Philbrick’s story, which reads like a bildungsroman gone terribly wrong, renewed attention on a murky practice in the art world.

Victoria Bekiempis, Rolling Stone, 23 May 2022 See More

单词	bildungsroman
释义	bildungsroman noun bil·dungs·ro·man ˈbil-du̇ŋ(k)s-rō-ˌmän -du̇ŋz- literature : a novel about the moral and psychological growth of the main character a bildungsroman by Charles Dickens Did you know? Bildungsroman is the combination of two German words: Bildung, meaning "education," and Roman, meaning "novel." Fittingly, a bildungsroman is a novel that deals with the formative years of the main character, and in particular, with the character's psychological development and moral education. The bildungsroman usually ends on a positive note, with the hero's foolish mistakes and painful disappointments over, and a life of usefulness ahead. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's late 18th-century work Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre (Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship) is often cited as the classic example of a bildungsroman. Though the term is primarily applied to novels, in recent years some English speakers have begun to apply it to films that deal with a youthful character's coming-of-age. Example Sentences Recent Examples on the Web For the past five years, Srinivasan has been living a Silicon Valley bildungsroman. Anthony Lydgate, WIRED, 6 Sep. 2022 Layered atop the bildungsroman–slash–murder mystery is a courtroom drama, wildlife commentary, and a cast of thinly drawn supporting characters. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 15 July 2022 When Bran, the protagonist of this offbeat bildungsroman, is ten years old, her mother joins a Buddhist colony, abandoning her to the dubious care of her common-law stepfather. The New Yorker, 13 June 2022 At this point, isotopes in Fred’s tusks began recording a mastodon bildungsroman of sorts, as the animal struggled to come to terms with onrushing adulthood. Peter Brannen, The Atlantic, 22 June 2022 Not even a bildungsroman can avoid the shadow of the 45th president. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 18 May 2022 The poet and novelist Ben Lerner’s treatment of the sport in this moody bildungsroman is a must-hit. Bo Seo, The Atlantic, 1 June 2022 In its understated way, this can be read as the apogee of the bildungsroman traced by Gunn’s poetic oeuvre, as the moment the occluded requires no agency to declare itself, and the closet is revealed without shame or obfuscation. Mark Ford, The New York Review of Books, 25 May 2022 Philbrick’s story, which reads like a bildungsroman gone terribly wrong, renewed attention on a murky practice in the art world. Victoria Bekiempis, Rolling Stone, 23 May 2022 See More Word History Etymology German, from Bildung education + Roman novel First Known Use 1906, in the meaning defined above
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bildungsroman

noun

Did you know?

Example Sentences

Word History