tale
Americannoun
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a narrative that relates the details of some real or imaginary event, incident, or case; story.
a tale about Lincoln's dog.
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a literary composition having the form of such a narrative.
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a falsehood; lie.
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a rumor or piece of gossip, often malicious or untrue.
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the full number or amount.
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Archaic. enumeration; count.
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Obsolete. talk; discourse.
noun
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a report, narrative, or story
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one of a group of short stories connected by an overall narrative framework
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a malicious or meddlesome rumour or piece of gossip
to bear tales against someone
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( in combination )
talebearer
taleteller
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a fictitious or false statement
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to tell fanciful lies
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to report malicious stories, trivial complaints, etc, esp to someone in authority
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to reveal something important
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to be self-evident
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archaic
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a number; amount
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computation or enumeration
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an obsolete word for talk
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tale
before 900; Middle English; Old English talu series, list, narrative, story; cognate with Dutch taal speech, language, German Zahl number, Old Norse tala number, speech. See tell 1
Explanation
A tale is a story, especially one that's full of creative embellishments. You can read a tale from a book, or tell a bedtime tale to the kids you're babysitting. Tales can be true or fictional, but they generally consist of a narrative, with a beginning and an end, made more interesting and exciting with vivid details. Some tales are meant to teach specific lessons (like your family's history or your community's values), while others simply relay a funny story. Tale can also mean "lie," like when your mom asks, "You're not telling a tale, are you?"
Vocabulary lists containing tale
"Raymond's Run"
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"The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet"
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Justice, Part 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"It is clear that our world is facing a Tale of Two Crises," Guterres said, referencing the 19th century British writer Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities".
From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026
You might have recognised it from its use in Arrival, Shutter Island, The Last of Us, Stranger Than Fiction, The Handmaid's Tale, The Innocents... and, perhaps most importantly, an episode of EastEnders.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
Appeared in the February 18, 2026, print edition as 'HBO’s Sordid Kentucky Tale'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026
The mansion’s availability is part of a celebration of 35 years by Disney’s Fair Tale Weddings and Honeymoons.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026
“I assume that you are all familiar with ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’?”
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
