[raw-mah na kle] 
[raw-mahn za kle] . French. | a novel that represents historical events and characters under the guise of fiction. |
| ro·man à clef (rō-mäɴ' ä klā') n. pl. ro·mans à clef (rōmäɴ' zä klā') A novel in which actual persons, places, or events are depicted in fictional guise. [French : roman, novel + à, with + clef, key.] |
A novel in which actual people and places are disguised as fictional characters. Roman à clef is French for “novel with a key.”
mɑ na ˈklɛ