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View synonyms for anecdote

anecdote

[an-ik-doht]

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.



anecdote

/ ˈænɪkˌdəʊt /

noun

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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • anecdotic adjective
  • anecdotalist noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of anecdote1

First recorded in 1670–80; from New Latin anecdota or French anecdotes, from Late Greek, Greek anékdota “things unpublished” (referring particularly to Procopius's unpublished memoirs of Justinian and Theodora), neuter plural of anékdotos, equivalent to an- an- 1 + ékdotos “given out,” adjective derivative of ekdidónai “to give out,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

Origin of anecdote1

C17: from Medieval Latin anecdota unpublished items, from Greek anekdotos unpublished, from an- + ekdotos published, from ekdidonai, from ek- out + didonai to give
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Compare Meanings

How does anecdote compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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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.

Treasury yields fall in Asian trade after the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, a summary of regional economic anecdotes, confirmed expectations of further interest-rate cuts.

The latest edition of the Federal Reserve’s beige book, which compiles anecdotes from central bankers around the country, reported mounting price pressures across many regions and elevated uncertainty that continued to weigh down activity.

Back when he was first elected to the speakership, David Kirkpatrick of the New Yorker interviewed Johnson and shared this anecdote, which illustrates how he operates:

Read more on Salon

And, if the anecdotes of people I know are anything to go by, the bug going round seems to be a particularly nasty one.

Read more on BBC

The book is heavy on bold-face prescription and relatively light on argument and anecdote, so it’s more of a flip-through than a sit-down.

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anecdotallyanecdotic