Romance (love)
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Romance or romantic love is a feeling of strong attraction towards another person, a mental state of being "in love" with the goal of having a relationship (or pair bond),[1][2] the courtship behaviors undertaken by an individual to express those feelings and resultant emotions,[2][3] and the practice of initiating relationships based on passionate feelings over more practical or ordinary concerns.[4][5] Romantic love is considered to be a motivation or drive, which is distinct from the concept of attachment.[6][1]
Collins Dictionary defines romantic love as "an intensity and idealization of a love relationship, in which the other is imbued with extraordinary virtue, beauty, etc., so that the relationship overrides all other considerations, including material ones."[7] The concept of romantic love also came to represent the idea of individualistic choice in marriage and sexual partners, although it's rarely realized fully and can be a source of both gratification and disappointment in relationships.[7] The terms "romance" and "romantic love" are used with multiple definitions, which can be contradictory at times.[4][8][9][10][11]
People who experience little to no romantic attraction are referred to as aromantic.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
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fisher4was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Fisher 2016, pp. 19–23, 151
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
what-is-romantic-lovewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Johnson 2013, pp. 43–44, 102–103, 147–148, 195–198
- ^ Smith, Dana G. (February 13, 2024). "What New Love Does to Your Brain - Roses are red, violets are blue. Romance can really mess with you". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 9, 2025. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
- ^ a b Jary, David; Jary, Julia (2000). Collins Dictionary of Sociology. HarperCollins. p. 525. ISBN 978-0-00-472511-6.
- ^ McGill, Bridgett; Dunn, Steven M. (2023). "Romance". Encyclopedia of Sexual Psychology and Behavior. Springer, Cham. pp. 1–4. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-08956-5_353-1. ISBN 978-3-031-08956-5.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Tennov 1999, pp. 4–5, 72, 168, 181, 211