tale

American  

[teyl] / teɪl /

noun

1. a narrative that relates the details of some real or imaginary event, incident, or case; story.

   a tale about Lincoln's dog.

2. a literary composition having the form of such a narrative.

3. a falsehood; lie.

4. a rumor or piece of gossip, often malicious or untrue.

5. the full number or amount.

6. Archaic. enumeration; count.

7. Obsolete. talk; discourse.

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tale British  

/ teɪl /

noun

1. a report, narrative, or story

2. one of a group of short stories connected by an overall narrative framework

3. 1. a malicious or meddlesome rumour or piece of gossip

      to bear tales against someone

   2. ( in combination )

      talebearer

      taleteller

4. a fictitious or false statement

5. 1. to tell fanciful lies

   2. to report malicious stories, trivial complaints, etc, esp to someone in authority

6. to reveal something important

7. to be self-evident

8. archaic

   1. a number; amount

   2. computation or enumeration

9. an obsolete word for talk

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tale Idioms  

1. see old wives' tale; tall tale; tell tales; thereby hangs a tale.

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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?"

Example Sentences

A Cautionary Tale is full of post-breakup clarity.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

“The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan” strikes the right balance of sincerity in the hands of Jasmine Warga, though there’s still plenty of material to tug at the heartstrings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 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

Engelhardt says, “In 2017, I had just dealt with, I would say, a spiritual depression, a season of seeking after God. Then I came across a book called ‘The Tale of the Three Trees.’

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

One night, after Forrest had been staying with Jule in London for a week, he bought the two of them tickets to see A Winter’s Tale at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

Related Words

• account
• anecdote
• fable
• fiction
• legend
• myth
• narrative
• novel
• short story
• yarn