story arc

British

noun

a continuing storyline in a television series that gradually unfolds over several episodes

"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

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.

Have you thought about how it will be to play Jimmy in the show’s fourth season now that this particular story arc has come to an end?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Unlike many freestyle rap hits, Children's Story was planned and written with a deliberate story arc.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

It also fits with his theory that the simulation encourages an up-and-down story arc, not a linear one.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 4, 2026

And then I also did teach the story arc, right?

From Salon • Nov. 2, 2025

In the story arc we have reached the Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows, the finale of which will determine the appetite for a Cursed Child stage show.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023