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Synonyms

short story

American  

noun

  1. a piece of prose fiction, usually under 10,000 words.

short story British  

noun

  1. a prose narrative of shorter length than the novel, esp one that concentrates on a single theme

"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 short story

First recorded in 1885–90

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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.

Short story writers like O. Henry dazzled readers with their deft finales.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2024

Short story: after a month of taking Prilosec AND stopping the apple cider vinegar, my stomach problems went away.

From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2018

Short story: the chemistry is there, along with first-rate quality.

From The Guardian • Jul. 11, 2017

Short story collections are always good books to pick up, and Alexander Weinstein’s latest contains stories of virtual reality, robotics, utopian futures, and memories — all stories about how technology and humanity intersect.

From The Verge • Sep. 1, 2016

Short story hits, 1933; an interpretive anthology. © on editing; 29Mar34; A71084.

From U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1961 July - December by Library of Congress. Copyright Office

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.