(pronounced roh-MAHN ah-CLAY)

This French term literally means “novel with a key.” In our terms, it means a novel or story that features actual people and events, but under the guise of fiction.

Example: Mark felt as if he did not have enough years with the firm to directly expose the sexual harassment he suspected his female colleagues on the healthcare design project team had been enduring from their team leader, so he wrote and circulated a roman à clef in the form of a company-wide email, which encouraged the victims to speak up, and, eventually, led to the team leader’s termination.