a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader; tale.
a fictitious tale, shorter and less elaborate than a novel.
such narratives or tales as a branch of literature.
song and story.
the plot or succession of incidents of a novel, poem, drama, etc..
The characterizations were good, but the story was weak.
a narration of an incident or a series of events or an example of these that is or may be narrated, as an anecdote, joke, etc.
a narration of the events in the life of a person or the existence of a thing, or such events as a subject for narration.
the story of medicine; the story of his life.
a report or account of a matter; statement or allegation.
The story goes that he rejected the offer.
a lie or fabrication.
What he said about himself turned out to be a story.
Obsolete. history.
to ornament with pictured scenes, as from history or legend.
Obsolete. to tell the history or story of.
a complete horizontal section of a building, having one continuous or practically continuous floor.
the set of rooms on the same floor or level of a building.
any major horizontal architectural division, as of a façade or the wall of a nave.
a layer.
Joseph, 1779–1845, U.S. jurist.
William Wetmore 1819–95, U.S. sculptor and poet.
a narration of a chain of events told or written in prose or verse
Also called: short story. a piece of fiction, briefer and usually less detailed than a novel
Also called: story line. the plot of a book, film, etc
an event that could be the subject of a narrative
a report or statement on a matter or event
the event or material for such a report
informal a lie, fib, or untruth
to leave out details in a narration
informal the familiar or regular course of events
it is commonly said or believed
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English stori(e), store, “(written or oral) narrative; history,” from Anglo-French (e)storie ( Old French estoire), from Latin historia history
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English stori(e), from Anglo-Latin (hi)storia architetcure term for a picture decorating a building, a part of the building so decorated, hence floor, story, from Latin historia history
If your little brother begs you to tell him a story, he wants to hear a short, entertaining tale. A narrative about people and events, usually including an interesting plot, is a story. A story can be fictional or true, and it can be written, read aloud, or made up on the spot. Journalists write stories for newspapers, and gossips spread stories that may or may not be true. A story can be historical; the root of story, the Latin word historia, means both "history" and "story."
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On Tuesday, Sykes addressed the incident in a since-expired Instagram story telling fans that he’s “all good” but suffered a mild concussion.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
The story of her illness seemed to have connected.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
For early investors, the IPO is the culmination of a decadelong story.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
The buy-now-pay-later provider remains a “show me” story, BofA Securities analysts wrote ahead of results.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
In Deer Hill, the story had warped into something unrecognizable.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
