anecdote

American  

[an-ik-doht] / ˈæn ɪkˌdoʊt /

noun

plural

anecdotes, anecdota

1. a short account of a particular incident or event, especially of an interesting or amusing nature.

2. a short, obscure historical or biographical account.

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anecdote British  

/ ˈænɪkˌdəʊt /

noun

1. a short usually amusing account of an incident, esp a personal or biographical one

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Other Word Forms

• anecdotalist noun
• anecdotic adjective

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First recorded in 1670–80; from New Latin anecdota or French anecdotes, from Late Greek, Greek anékdota “things unpublished” (referring particularly to Procopius's unpublished memoirs of Justinian and Theodora), neuter plural of anékdotos, equivalent to an- an- ¹ + ékdotos “given out,” adjective derivative of ekdidónai “to give out,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:

• anecdote vs. antidote

Example Sentences

Multiple anecdotes from across the snooker circuit attest to the man's extraordinary willingness to fulfill commitments to exhibitions, events and press interviews, all while going through treatment.

From BBC

Mr. Bailey is at his most engaging when he uses anecdotes to bring his principles to life.

From The Wall Street Journal

The wacky and crazy stuff made great anecdotes, but it didn’t dominate the indexes any more than Strategy does now.

From MarketWatch

That split among categories of consumers is exacerbating, according to the Federal Reserve’s latest compilation of economic anecdotes from around the country, known as the beige book.

From The Wall Street Journal

They share behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the shoots and reveal how they got “the” shot.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• episode
• gag
• narration
• narrative
• reminiscence
• short story
• sketch
• tale
• tall tale
• yarn