anecdote
Americannoun
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anecdotes,
plural
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anecdota
plural
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a short account of a particular incident or event, especially of an interesting or amusing nature.
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a short, obscure historical or biographical account.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of anecdote
First recorded in 1670–80; from New Latin anecdota or French anecdotes, from Late Greek, Greek anékdota “things unpublished” (referring particularly to Procopius's unpublished memoirs of Justinian and Theodora), neuter plural of anékdotos, equivalent to an- an- 1 + ékdotos “given out,” adjective derivative of ekdidónai “to give out, publish” ( ek- ec- + didónai “to give”)
Compare meaning
How does anecdote compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A short, amusing true story is an anecdote. You might come back from a crazy spring break with a lot of anecdotes to tell. The roots of anecdote lie in the Greek word anekdota, meaning "unpublished." The word's original sense in English was "secret or private stories" — tales not fit for print, so to speak. It can still have connotations of unreliability, as in the phrase "anecdotal information." But the most common sense today is that of "a funny story about something that happened."
Vocabulary lists containing anecdote
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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Argumentative Writing
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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.
See Examples For:
Sherry Turkle could have sworn the writer Susan Sontag had an anecdote about death and technology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
A revealing anecdote from the early pages of the book: Tana turned away Barbara Sinatra’s offer to buy out the restaurant for a night for Frank Sinatra’s birthday at $25,000.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
One New York Times report made the rounds particularly because of its opening anecdote about the candidate disappearing at a critical juncture because he needed a nap.
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026
He sees claims of anti-American sentiment in Europe as greatly exaggerated -- and has an anecdote to prove it.
From Barron's ● Apr. 21, 2026
Hermione had not cracked a smile during this anecdote, and now turned an expression of wintry disapproval upon Harry.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Happily, this soon gives way to anecdota and reminiscence.
From Time Magazine Archive
Fortunately, Benson has been so diligent in gathering papers and anecdota that he escapes from his own simplifications.
From Time Magazine Archive
Of such anecdota there are many collections; the earliest was probably L. A. Muratori's, in 1709.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Part 1, Slice 1 by Various
"When you dive into the Iliad, you really understand that Homer was an Anatolian. You find anecdotes and cultural references that are completely unknown elsewhere," he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
At oral argument, Solicitor General John Sauer could only provide anecdotes about newspaper clippings from China, but admitted that “no one knows” the true number.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
Her book deploys a mix of compelling facts and anecdotes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
"Everybody consumes narratives, be it in the form of actual news, of anecdotes, of stories that people tell in neighbourhoods."
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
I listened to the radio anecdotes about Marilyn and watched the activity across the street and down the block, where someone had opened a hydrant and children squealed in and out of the rushing water.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
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.
