roman àclef*

ro•man à clef

fr. [[t]rɔ mɑ na ˈklɛ[/t]] n. pl. ro•mans à clef fr. [[t]rɔ mɑ̃ za ˈklɛ[/t]]

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

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Etymology: 1890–95; < F: lit., novel with a key