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Synonyms

chronicle

American  
[kron-i-kuhl] / ˈkrɒn ɪ kəl /

noun

  1. a chronological record of events; a history.


verb (used with object)

chronicled, chronicling
  1. to record in or as in a chronicle.

    Synonyms:
    report, narrate, relate, recount
chronicle British  
/ ˈkrɒnɪkəl /

noun

  1. a record or register of events in chronological order

"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

verb

  1. (tr) to record in or as if in a chronicle

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of chronicle

1275–1325; Middle English cronicle < Anglo-French, variant, with -le -ule, of Old French cronique < Medieval Latin cronica (feminine singular), Latin chronica (neuter plural) < Greek chroniká annals, chronology; see chronic

Explanation

To chronicle an event is to record it as it happens, and a chronicle is a record of those events. If your grandmother took the time to chronicle the details of her 1910 journey to Japan, you can read her chronicle today. To chronicle something is to describe past or current events. Chronicle is related to chronological and comes from the Greek ta khronika, which means “annals of time.” Events are usually chronicled in the order in which they occurred. The noun chronicle is a record of things that happened — told in chronological order, like the diary you kept in elementary school. It is a chronicle of those years.

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Vocabulary lists containing chronicle

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.

It’s unclear how the numbers in that study were calculated, and Mahaleris did not respond to requests to provide the study to the Chronicle.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2026

She was previously a reporting fellow at the Journal and worked at the Chronicle of Higher Education, where she covered campus culture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026

The Jewish Chronicle newspaper also quoted Sir Keir as saying he was "very worried" about the increasing use of proxies by the Iranian government.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

The woman told the Chronicle that she was hired in 2019 to work in Swalwell’s Castro Valley district office when she was 21.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

On the counter was the late edition of the Home Town Chronicle.

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt