chronicle
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
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.
Vocabulary lists containing chronicle
It's About Time: Chron and Temp
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"The Gift of the Magi"
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The Skin I'm In
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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.
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
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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.