Synonyms

narrate

American

[nar-eyt, na-reyt] / ˈnær eɪt, næˈreɪt /

verb (used with object)

to give an account or tell the story of (events, experiences, etc.).

Synonyms:

recite, detail
to add a spoken commentary to (a film, television program, etc.).

The Oscar-winning actor recently produced and narrated a new documentary on climate change.

verb (used without object)

to relate or recount events, experiences, etc., in speech or writing.

narrate British

/ nəˈreɪt /

verb

to tell (a story); relate
to speak in accompaniment of (a film, television programme, etc)

"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

Synonym Usage

See describe.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of narrate

First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin narrātus (past participle of narrāre ”to relate, tell, say”), equivalent to nār(us) “knowing, acquainted with” (variant of gnārus; see cognition) + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

When you tell a story or describe something out loud, you narrate. You might hire a well-known actor to narrate your documentary film about circus elephants. One way to narrate is to comment on or describe visual images — photographs or scenes in a film, for example. You can also narrate a story simply by relaying the details aloud. In books, a character sometimes narrates the story as well. It appears that narration, or the action of telling a story, came before narrate, from the Latin root narrare, "to tell, relate, or recount," or literally, "to make acquainted with."

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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.

Narrate as you go, because your baby loves your voice and learns as you speak, which strengthens your connection.

From Washington Post • Mar. 23, 2022

Narrate as vividly as possible an experience in your own life.

From The Century Vocabulary Builder by Bachelor, Joseph M. (Joseph Morris)

B I Narrate the events in Julius Cæsar that occur on the Ides of March, before the murder.In what book did Shakespeare find the material for Julius Cæsar?

From Teachers' Outlines for Studies in English Based on the Requirements for Admission to College by Blakely, Gilbert Sykes

Narrate faithfully what he did in Szczytno, and they must believe you….

From The Knights of the Cross or, Krzyzacy by Binion, Samuel A.

Narrate the story of Onesimus, gathering it from the Epistle to Philemon.

From The Life of St. Paul by Stalker, James

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