story

Other forms: stories

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."

Definitions of story
  1. noun
    a record or narrative description of past events
    “the story of exposure to lead”
    synonyms: account, chronicle, history
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    types:
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    ancient history
    a history of the ancient world
    etymology
    a history of a word
    case history
    detailed record of the background of a person or group under study or treatment
    historical document, historical paper, historical record
    writing having historical value (as opposed to fiction or myth etc.)
    annals, chronological record
    a chronological account of events in successive years
    biography, life, life history, life story
    an account of the series of events making up a person's life
    recital
    a detailed account or description of something
    folk etymology
    a popular but erroneous etymology
    family history
    part of a patient's medical history in which questions are asked in an attempt to find out whether the patient has hereditary tendencies toward particular diseases
    anamnesis, medical history, medical record
    the case history of a medical patient as recalled by the patient
    autobiography
    a biography of yourself
    hagiography
    a biography that idealizes or idolizes the person (especially a person who is a saint)
    profile
    biographical sketch
    type of:
    record
    anything (such as a document or a phonograph record or a photograph) providing permanent evidence of or information about past events
  2. noun
    a piece of fiction that narrates a chain of related events
    “he writes stories for the magazines”
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    adventure story, heroic tale
    a story of an adventure
    mystery, mystery story, whodunit
    a story about a crime (usually murder) presented as a novel or play or movie
    love story, romance
    a story dealing with love
    fable, legend
    a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events
    short story
    a prose narrative shorter than a novel
    allegory, apologue, fable, parable
    a short moral story (often with animal characters)
    myth
    a traditional story accepted as history; serves to explain the world view of a people
    parable
    (New Testament) any of the stories told by Jesus to convey his religious message
    plot
    the story that is told as in a novel, play, movie, etc.
    thriller
    a suspenseful adventure story or play or movie
    saga
    a narrative telling the adventures of a hero or a family; originally (12th to 14th centuries) a story of the families that settled Iceland and their descendants but now any prose narrative that resembles such an account
    detective story
    a narrative about someone who investigates crimes and obtains evidence leading to their resolution
    murder mystery
    a narrative about a murder and how the murderer is discovered
    Arthurian legend
    the legend of King Arthur and his court at Camelot
    Aesop's fables
    a collection of fables believed to have been written by the Greek storyteller Aesop
    Gotterdammerung, Ragnarok, Twilight of the Gods
    myth about the ultimate destruction of the gods in a battle with evil
    action
    the series of events that form a plot
    diegesis
    the use of a narrator to explain events or information in a story
    subplot
    a subordinate or secondary plot in a work of fiction
    type of:
    fiction
    a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact
  3. noun
    a trivial lie
    “how can I stop my child from telling stories?”
    synonyms: fib, tale, taradiddle, tarradiddle
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    types:
    cock-and-bull story, fairy story, fairy tale, fairytale, song and dance
    an interesting but highly implausible story; often told as an excuse
    type of:
    lie, prevarication
    a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth
  4. noun
    a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
    “Disney's stories entertain adults as well as children”
    synonyms: narration, narrative, tale
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    examples:
    Canterbury Tales
    an uncompleted series of tales written after 1387 by Geoffrey Chaucer
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    tearjerker
    an excessively sentimental narrative
    tall tale
    an improbable (unusual or incredible or fanciful) story
    folk tale, folktale
    a tale circulated by word of mouth among the common folk
    sob story, sob stuff
    a sentimental story (or drama) of personal distress; designed to arouse sympathy
    fairy story, fairy tale, fairytale
    a children's story involving imaginary, magical or fantastical beings or elements
    nursery rhyme
    a tale in rhymed verse for children
    type of:
    content, message, subject matter, substance
    what a communication that is about something is about
  5. noun
    a short account of the news
    “the story was on the 11 o'clock news”
    synonyms: account, news report, report, write up
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    newsletter, newssheet
    report or open letter giving informal or confidential news of interest to a special group
    bulletin
    a brief report (especially an official statement issued for immediate publication or broadcast)
    communique, despatch, dispatch
    an official report (usually sent in haste)
    urban legend
    an untrue story of unknown origin containing elements of humor or horror that spreads spontaneously in various forms
    exclusive, scoop
    a news report that is reported first by one news organization
    market letter
    a newsletter written by an analyst of the stock market and sold to subscribers
    flash, news bulletin, newsbreak, newsflash
    a short news announcement concerning some on-going news story
    information bulletin
    a bulletin containing the latest information
    type of:
    news
    information reported in a newspaper or news magazine
  6. noun
    a structure consisting of a room or set of rooms at a single position along a vertical scale
    synonyms: floor, level, storey
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    basement, cellar
    the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
    first floor, ground floor, ground level
    the floor of a building that is at or nearest to the level of the ground around the building
    attic, garret, loft
    floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage
    loft
    floor consisting of a large unpartitioned space over a factory or warehouse or other commercial space
    entresol, mezzanine, mezzanine floor
    intermediate floor just above the ground floor
    artist's loft
    a factory loft that has been converted into an artist's workroom and living area
    cellarage
    a storage area in a cellar
    cockloft
    a small loft or garret
    hayloft, haymow, mow
    a loft in a barn where hay is stored
    type of:
    construction, structure
    a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts
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