romantic comedy

noun

plural romantic comedies
: a light, comic movie or other work whose plot focuses on the development of a romantic relationship
This brings us to romantic comedies. … They make money, spawn franchises, and are popular in books, movies, and on television. Sexual tension is fun to watch, and we like rooting for a will-they-won't-they couple.Elizabeth Logan
also : this style or genre of work
an actor with a talent for romantic comedy

called also rom-com

Examples of romantic comedy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Books are spread across several sub-genres like small-town romance, steamy romance, romantic comedy, fantasy romance, paranormal romance, science fiction, historical romance, sports romance, and so on. Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025 Union carved out a niche in romantic comedies, starring in Two Can Play That Game (2001), Deliver Us from Eva (2003), and Breakin’ All the Rules (2004), in addition to action flicks like Cradle 2 the Grave (2003). EW.com, 21 Apr. 2025 The British romantic comedy, a continuation of the beloved franchise, has reached $191,408 in Korea since its midweek release. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Apr. 2025 The project reunites Stimpson and Leclerc following their work together on several other recent holiday romantic comedies, including A Very Vermont Christmas, Letters to Santa, and A Cape Cod Christmas. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for romantic comedy

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of romantic comedy was in 1818

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Cite this Entry

“Romantic comedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/romantic%20comedy. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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