anecdote
Americannoun
plural
anecdotes, anecdota-
a short account of a particular incident or event, especially of an interesting or amusing nature.
-
a short, obscure historical or biographical account.
noun
Other Word Forms
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First recorded in 1670–80; from New Latin anecdota or French anecdotes, from Late Greek, Greek anékdota “things unpublished” (referring particularly to Procopius's unpublished memoirs of Justinian and Theodora), neuter plural of anékdotos, equivalent to an- an- 1 + ékdotos “given out,” adjective derivative of ekdidónai “to give out,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 The roots of anecdote lie in the Greek word anekdota, meaning "unpublished."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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List 7
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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.
On the shores of South San Francisco, an airy two-story restaurant called the Anecdote opened in March on a biotech campus.
From New York Times • Jan. 23, 2023
Anecdote suggests the same: When was it ever this easy to get to the airport?
From Washington Post • Jul. 12, 2022
Anecdote is not data, though, and essentially I feel women should have the choice.
From The Guardian • Sep. 13, 2018
The Amy Poehler Anecdote is another elegant solution: Praising female friends satisfies the celebrity gossip impulse, avoids potential nastiness, and functions as a lesson for young women on the virtues of female solidarity.
From Slate • Oct. 24, 2014
A Book of Musical Anecdote from every available source.
From The Love Affairs of Great Musicians, Volume 2 by Hughes, Rupert
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.
