roman à clef

American  

[raw-mah na kle] / rɔ mɑ na ˈklɛ /

noun

French.

PLURAL

romans à clef

1. a novel that represents historical events and characters under the guise of fiction.

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roman à clef British  

/ rɔmɑ̃ a kle /

noun

1. a novel in which real people are depicted under fictitious names

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roman à clef Cultural  

1. A novel in which actual people and places are disguised as fictional characters. Roman à clef is French for “novel with a key.”

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Etymology

Origin of roman à clef

First recorded in 1880–85; literally “novel with a key,” the key being the connection between the fictional and nonfictional elements of the novel

Example Sentences

After all, her next book is a roman à clef about Gala, and writing about a woman who might be in dire straits would be exploitative.

From Los Angeles Times

There is no more quotable novel about Hollywood than Carrie Fisher’s roman à clef, “Postcards From the Edge.”

From Los Angeles Times

The seamless overlap between real life and fictional counterparts, and the faithful reproduction of such well-established facts, conveys the author’s intention to offer a crystal clear clé to this roman à clef.

From New York Times

Originally the book’s nine stories were going to stand alone, but during the writing process Clowes shifted toward telling the story of one person’s life against a backdrop of paranormal suspense: a roman à clef crossed with EC Comics’ “The Haunt of Fear.”

From Los Angeles Times

The story quoted a few skeptics—among them the writer Harry Monaghan, who’d written a well-received roman à clef five years prior, and who had a regular column in the Post.

From Slate