Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A novel whose principal subject is the moral, psychological, and intellectual development of a usually youthful main character.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A novel tracing the spiritual, moral, psychological, or social development and growth of the main character, usually from childhood to maturity.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[German : Bildung, formation (from Middle High German bildunge, from Old High German bildunga, from bilidōn, to shape, from bilōdi, form, shape) + Roman, novel (from French, a story in the vernacular, novel; see roman).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Borrowing from German Bildungsroman, from Bildung, from bildunge, from bildunga, from bilidon ("to shape"), from bilodi ("form, shape"), + Roman ("novel"), from French, roman ("novel"). Hence "novel of education" or "novel of formation".

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word bildungsroman.

Examples

  • If nothing else, I would like to determine for myself whether Demanski's view of the possibilities of the modified bildungsroman is a sound one or not.

    Book Reviewing 2010

  • Morally he scarcely improves over the course of the novel I've seen it described as a bildungsroman, but I'm not convinced Gully develops enough to merit that.

    Archive 2009-02-01 Tim Stretton 2009

  • Morally he scarcely improves over the course of the novel I've seen it described as a bildungsroman, but I'm not convinced Gully develops enough to merit that.

    :Acquired Taste Tim Stretton 2009

  • A bildungsroman is defined as “a novel which traces the spiritual, moral, psychological, or social development and growth of the main character from (usually) childhood to maturity.

    Song of the Crow by Layne Maheu: Questions 2006

  • What are the chances of running into the word bildungsroman twice in one crapometer?

    HH Com 399 Miss Snark 2006

  • On "Spirited Away"--Miyazaki is a master of the female bildungsroman, which is not a common genre.

    "You Fascinate Me": Interesting Women in Film, 4 Fresca 2009

  • The German word bildungsroman is used to describe what we English-speakers know as a

    TheGloss Lilit Marcus 2010

  • The German word bildungsroman is used to describe what we English-speakers know as a

    TheGloss Lilit Marcus 2010

  • The German word bildungsroman is used to describe what we English-speakers know as a

    TheGloss Lilit Marcus 2010

  • A bildungsroman is the Love and Lust study of the growth of a youthful character and thus The World According to Garp is concerned it applies to Irving's novel.

    Recently Uploaded Slideshows 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • a novel of personal development - a novel which traces the spiritual, moral, psychological, or social development and growth of the main character from (usually) childhood to maturity.

    November 6, 2007