Identity Terms
Common identities on the aromantic spectrum
This glossary is a continuously updating record of terms that have been and are being used in the aromantic community. As a record, this glossary is meant to document the various concepts that are thought up when the language is not sufficient to describe people’s experiences and doesn’t encourage or discourage the use of any term.
*Identity terms on the aromantic spectrum that are not commonly used by the community or are newly emerging are marked with an asterisk (*)
Please keep in mind these are shortened definitions and identities can be nuanced. This glossary was last updated in October 2021.
Acoromantic*
Describes a person whose negative experiences with romance have alienated them from their alloromanticism.
Abroromantic
Describes a person who experiences a fluid or rapidly changing romantic attraction to people of different gender expressions.
Adfecturomantic / Affecturomantic / Adfectual / Adfomantic*
Describes a person whose romantic attraction is affected by their neurodivergency.
Aegoromantic / Autochorisromantic
Describes a person who enjoys the idea of romance, but does not wish to be a participant in romantic activities. A romantic parallel to aegosexual/autochorissexual, an idea first theorized by Anthony Bogaert (original, archived).
Coined by: Eridanamporadefensesquad on Tumblr
Aliquaromantic *
Describes a person who experiences romantic attraction only under certain circumstances.
Allo aro (aro allo)
An abbreviation of allosexual aromantic, a term people who are allosexual and aromantic use to describe themselves.
Angled aroace
Describes a person on the aromantic and asexual spectra, who experiences a form of attraction other than romantic or sexual, but is significant enough to warrant a place alongside their aroace orientation. This label is for use by arospec asexual, aromantic acespec, and arospec acespec people.
Apathromantic*
Describes a person who may or may not experience romantic attraction, but is indifferent to receiving it or acting on it.
Apothiromantic / Antiromantic*
Describes a person who does not experience any romantic attraction whatsoever, in any shape or form, and is romance repulsed.
Coined by: Autisutehk on Tumblr
Flag variations (original,archived)
Note: A definition for antiromantic that is now out of use is “a person who would prefer not to develop romantic feelings for people, but does anyway.”
Apresromantic*
Describes a person who only experiences romantic attraction after another form of attraction is felt. The original attraction may or may not fade/be replaced by the new attraction.
Coined by: Pastelmemer a.k.a. Pastelroswell on Tumblr
Aroflux
Describes a person whose romantic orientation fluctuates but always stays on the aromantic spectrum.
Describes a person whose romantic orientation fluctuates between aromantic and alloromantic.
Arogender
Describes a gender which is significantly connected to one’s aromanticism. It can be any gender identity influenced by having an aromantic spectrum identity. It can be used as a standalone gender label or in conjunction with others; for example, one could be an arogender boy.
Aromantic (aro)
Describes a person whose experience of romance is disconnected from normative societal expectations, commonly due to experiencing little to no romantic attraction, but also due to feeling repulsed by romance, or being uninterested in romantic relationships.
Commonly used as a specific identity term by people who experience no romantic attraction.
See also: FAQ
Aromid*
Describes someone that is strictly aromantic, but not strictly asexual, while still being on the asexual spectrum. The person may or may not use additional terms for their sexuality.
Coined by: star-allos (original)
Aspectusromantic*
Describes a person who can appear to have an attraction, but in reality they do not feel that attraction at all. They tend to act in ways that most people would assume alloromantic people do.
Borearomantic*
Describes a person who has a set romantic orientation, with an exception, usually revolving around a single person. A borearomantic person can be aromantic or alloromantic.
Ceaseromantic*
Describes a person who is usually alloromantic, but occasionally has a complete loss of attraction for a period of time. The opposite of burstromantic.
Dependromantic / Requiromantic / Exige(n)romantic / Cruxromantic*
Describes a person who only experiences romantic attraction within one’s depended(s). This term can be used to describe romantic attraction felt solely within the context of Dependent Personality Disorder.
Coined by: Anti-god on Tumblr
Desinoromantic*
Describes a person who does not experience full-on romantic attraction, but experiences “liking” someone instead of “loving” them romantically, at which point the attraction ends.
Coined by: Pastelmemer a.k.a. Pastelroswell on Tumblr
Duraromantic*
Describes a person who rarely experiences romantic attraction, but when it they do, it lasts for a long time.
Fictoromantic*
Describes a person who experiences romantic attraction towards fictional characters. This can be an arospec identity if the person experiences little to no attraction towards real people.
Flag (original)
Frayromantic / Ignotaromantic / Protoromantic
Describes a person who experiences romantic attraction towards strangers and people they are less familiar with, which fades away when they get to know them more.
Fray coined by: Edensmachine on Tumblr
Greyromantic (grey aromantic)
Describes a person who feels romantic attraction very rarely, weakly, unreliably or gains/loses attraction in unusual or unknown circumstances.
Can also be used as an umbrella term for orientations on the aromantic spectrum except for aromantics who don’t experience romantic attraction at all.
Grey coined by: KPsaz (original, archived)
Iamvanoromantic*
Describes a person who feels little to no desire to be the giver of romantic gestures but expresses interest/desire in receiving them from someone else. An iamvanoromantic person can be aromantic or alloromantic.
Idemromantic*
Describes a person who does not internally experience romantic and platonic attraction differently. They distinguish between romantic and platonic based on other factors, such as age, personality compatibility, and ease of living together.
Implaromantic / Inexromantic*
Describes a person who is never satisfied with their orientation due to constant self-doubt, causing them to search and seek out something that fits as perfect as possible.
Impla coined by: Ash-doggie (original, archived)
Inactoromantic / Initiaromantic*
Describes a person who experiences romantic attraction and wants a romantic relationship but doesn’t like romantic actions.
Lithflux / Akoiflux*
Describes a person who experiences romantic attraction and only sometimes desires for it to be reciprocated.
Describes a person who experiences romantic attraction and has that attraction fade once in a relationship, but may come and go again throughout.
Lithromantic / Aporomantic / Akoi(ne)romantic
Describes a person who can feel romantic attraction towards others and enjoys romantic relationships in theory, but does not need that affection to be reciprocated or to be in a relationship with the one the feelings are directed towards.
Describes a person who may stop feeling romantic attraction once in a relationship or stop enjoying it.
Coined by: Ian a.k.a. Stopanthropomorphizingme (original, archived) and Cisphobeofficial (original, archived) respectively
Loveless aromantic
Describes a person on the aromantic spectrum who feels disconnected from the concept of love, does not experience love, or rejects the idea of personally experiencing love. Loveless aros may experience other attractions, but do not equate these attractions to love.
Coined by: K.A. Cook (original)
Flag (original)
Malaromantic*
Describes a person who only experiences romantic attraction during maladaptive daydreams.
Neuroromantic
Describes a person whose romantic orientation is affected by their neurodivergency in some way. Neuroromantic is often used as an umbrella term for neurodivergence-influenced identities.
Coined by: Pastelmemer a.k.a. Pastelroswell on Tumblr
Neu(tro) aro / Neutral aro / Arohaze / Aromush / Arovoid*
Describes an aromantic person whose identity on the allosexual-asexual spectrum and/or on other orientation spectra is neutral, in-between, multiple, or unclear.
Neu(tro)/Neutral aro coined by: A-romantic--aromantic (original, archived)
Neu(tro)/Neutral aro Flag (original, archived)
Arohaze/Aromush coined by: Liquidlikecats (archived)
Arohaze/aromush Flag (archived)
Non-SAM aro
Describes an aromantic person who does not use the Split Attraction Model (SAM) to characterize their orientation. Non-SAM aros do not identify with an allosexual or asexual spectrum orientation, regardless of whether or not they experience sexual attraction.
There are also other terms that people use as synonyms for non-SAM aro, and there is ongoing discussion about which ones might be preferred by the community.
A similar term that is not defined in relation to the SAM is Unit aro.
Noviromantic*
Describes a person who experiences a complicated romantic attraction (or lack thereof) such that they do not feel it can be described in a single term.
Coined by: Romeoisadick on Tumblr
Omniaromantic / Panaromantic*
Describes a person who feels no romantic attraction whatsoever. In no way, shape, or form do they fall in love or feel any attraction to anyone.
Oriented aroace
Describes an aromantic and asexual person who experiences a form of attraction that is neither romantic nor sexual, but is significant enough to warrant a place alongside their aroace orientation. This label was specifically created for aroaces who never experience romantic or sexual attraction.
Perioriented
Any combination of a sexual orientation and romantic orientation that “match up,” or share the same gender preference. Some examples include aromantic asexual, heteroromantic heterosexual, biromantic bisexual, etc.
Placioromantic*
Describes a person who feels little to no desire to be the receiver of romantic gestures but expresses interest/desire in performing them on someone else. A placioromantic person can be aromantic or alloromantic.
Coined by: Athomewithmargaery on Tumblr
Plat(oni)romantic*
Describes a person who feels no distinction between platonic and romantic attraction.
Coined by: Novusnova on Tumblr
Primaro / Archaro*
Describes a person who feels that their aromantic identity is more important than other identities or is their “primary” or most important identity. Can be thought of to be an experience under the non-SAM/unit aro umbrella.
Primaro coined by: Reesexaviergonzales (original, archived)
Primaro as a subset of non-SAM/unit aro proposed by: Arokeladry (original, archived)
Propeestromantic*
Describes a person whose identity feels like a mix of many (any more than two) aromantic spectrum identities that all are a part of one identity.
Coined by: Alex a.k.a. Knifegoth on Tumblr
Quoiromantic / WTFromantic
Describes a person who doesn’t understand romance, romantic attraction, or romantic orientation and feels as if those categories are nonsensical, inapplicable, or inaccessible so they disidentify with those labels.
A helpful source (original, archived)Describes a person who experiences confusion or frustration when trying to differentiate between and apply platonic and romantic attraction to their personal experiences, and therefore is not sure if they experience it.
Quoi coined by: Cor (original, archived)
Recipromantic
Describes a person who feels romantic attraction only if the other person feels romantic attraction toward them first.
Requi(es)romantic*
Describes a person who feels little to no romantic attraction due to mental or emotional exhaustion. The exhaustion may or may not have been caused by bad experiences of romance in that person's past.
Coined by: Gay4dragons on Tumblr
Romo aro
Describes a person who is on the aromantic spectrum and experiences romantic attraction in some way or who desires/is in a romantic relationship. Stands for “romantic aromantic.”
Flags (original)
Schromantic*
Describes a person who is aromantic and alloromantic at the same time, or some mix of the two.
Singuluromantic*
Describes a person who only experiences one type of attraction towards people (i.e. if they experience sexual attraction towards a person, they won’t feel romantic/alterous/platonic attraction towards them).
Unit aro / Unicum aro / Solaro*
Describes an aromantic person who identifies only or primarily as aromantic, centering their aromantic identity as their preferred unit.
This term was proposed as an alternative to non-SAM aro, as some aros who technically fit the definition disliked the term "non-SAM" for defining them in relation to what they are not rather than what they are.
Unit aro coined by: aro-neir-o (original, archived)
Unicum aro coined by: Magni (original, archived)
Unicum aro as a subset of non-SAM/unit aro proposed by: Arokeladry (original, archived)