narrative
Americannoun
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narratives
plural
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a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious.
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a book, literary work, etc., containing such a story.
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the art, technique, or process of narrating, or of telling a story.
Somerset Maugham was a master of narrative.
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a story that connects and explains a carefully selected set of supposedly true events, experiences, or the like, intended to support a particular viewpoint or thesis.
to rewrite the prevailing narrative about masculinity; the narrative that our public schools are failing.
adjective
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consisting of or being a narrative.
a narrative poem.
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of or relating to narration, or the telling of a story.
My English teacher's narrative skill makes characters seem to come to life.
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Fine Arts. representing stories or events pictorially or sculpturally.
narrative painting.
noun
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an account, report, or story, as of events, experiences, etc
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the part of a literary work that relates events
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the process or technique of narrating
adjective
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telling a story
a narrative poem
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of or relating to narration
narrative art
Synonym Usage
Narrative, account, recital, history are terms for a story of an event or events. Narrative is the general term (for a story long or short; of past, present, or future; factual or imagined; told for any purpose; and with or without much detail). The other three terms apply primarily to factual stories of time already past. An account is usually told informally, often for entertainment, with emphasis on details of action, whether about an incident or a series of happenings. A recital is an extended narrative usually with an informative purpose, emphasizing accuracy and exhaustive details of facts and figures. A history, usually written and at some length, is characterized by a tracing of causes and effects, and by an attempt to estimate, evaluate, and interpret facts.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of narrative
First recorded in 1445–55; from Middle French narratif (adjective and noun), from Late Latin narrātīvus “narration” (noun), “suitable for narration” (adjective), from narrāt(us) “related, told” (past participle of narrāre “to relate, tell, say”) + -īvus, adjective suffix; equivalent to narrate ( def. ) + -ive ( def. )
Explanation
A narrative is a story that you write or tell to someone, usually in great detail. A narrative can be a work of poetry or prose, or even song, theater, or dance. Often a narrative is meant to include the "whole story." A summary will give a few key details and then the narrative will delve into the details. "I hate to interrupt your narrative," is a polite way of stopping someone in the middle of a story. The origin of this noun is the Latin adjective narrativus, from narrare "to tell," from gnarus "knowing." It is related to our English verb know.
Vocabulary lists containing narrative
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 5
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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.
See Examples For:
In the final pages of the third volume, World War I breaks into the narrative.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
The “It Follows” escape plan is, as it happens, a window into Kelly’s celebrated talent for taking a narrative formula and turning it on its head, often with a sinister edge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
When quizzed as to whether the whole narrative surrounding the IPO momentum could be lost if cheaper Chinese competition starts to eat into the market share, Ahn is realistic: “That’s a possibility, yes.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
Tibetans in the region can be detained or arrested for speaking to journalists or posting anything online that is seen as contrary to the government narrative, according to rights activists.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
There were about a million words worth of secret government and military documents, and another 1.5 million of narrative history written by the researchers.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Recently, the bureau announced it would no longer include narratives in consumer complaints that appear in the CFPB’s public database.
From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026
In what is set to be one of the key narratives on transfer deadline day, City have set the wheels in motion towards what would be one of the most expensive deals of the summer.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
Luria said that Microsoft has now countered the negative narratives that were plaguing its stock earlier this year.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
“There’s always a lot of narratives about Angel, but she competes and plays so hard,” Roberts said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
From the Cognitive Revolution onwards, historical narratives replace biological theories as our primary means of explaining the development of Homo sapiens.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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.
