story
noun
a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader; tale.
story
1 American
[stawr-ee, stohr-ee]
/ ˈstɔr i, ˈstoʊr i /
noun
-
stories
plural
-
a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader; tale.
-
a fictitious tale, shorter and less elaborate than a novel.
-
such narratives or tales as a branch of literature.
song and story.
-
the plot or succession of incidents of a novel, poem, drama, etc..
The characterizations were good, but the story was weak.
-
a narration of an incident or a series of events or an example of these that is or may be narrated, as an anecdote, joke, etc.
- Synonyms:
- recital
-
a narration of the events in the life of a person or the existence of a thing, or such events as a subject for narration.
the story of medicine; the story of his life.
-
a report or account of a matter; statement or allegation.
The story goes that he rejected the offer.
- Synonyms:
- description
-
a lie or fabrication.
What he said about himself turned out to be a story.
-
Obsolete. history.
verb (used with object)
storied,
storying
-
to ornament with pictured scenes, as from history or legend.
-
Obsolete. to tell the history or story of.
story
2
American
[stawr-ee, stohr-ee]
/ ˈstɔr i, ˈstoʊr i /
especially British,
storey
noun
-
stories
plural
-
a complete horizontal section of a building, having one continuous or practically continuous floor.
-
the set of rooms on the same floor or level of a building.
-
any major horizontal architectural division, as of a façade or the wall of a nave.
-
a layer.
Story
3
American
[stawr-ee, stohr-ee]
/ ˈstɔr i, ˈstoʊr i /
noun
-
Joseph, 1779–1845, U.S. jurist.
-
William Wetmore 1819–95, U.S. sculptor and poet.
story
1
British
/ ˈstɔːrɪ /
noun
-
a narration of a chain of events told or written in prose or verse
-
Also called: short story. a piece of fiction, briefer and usually less detailed than a novel
-
Also called: story line. the plot of a book, film, etc
-
an event that could be the subject of a narrative
-
a report or statement on a matter or event
-
the event or material for such a report
-
informal a lie, fib, or untruth
-
to leave out details in a narration
-
informal the familiar or regular course of events
-
it is commonly said or believed
verb
story
2
British
/ ˈstɔːrɪ /
noun
story
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of story1
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English stori(e), store, “(written or oral) narrative; history,” from Anglo-French (e)storie ( Old French estoire), from Latin historia history
Origin of story2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English stori(e), from Anglo-Latin (hi)storia architecture term for a picture decorating a building, a part of the building so decorated, hence floor, story, from Latin historia history
Explanation
If your little brother begs you to tell him a story, he wants to hear a short, entertaining tale. A narrative about people and events, usually including an interesting plot, is a story. A story can be fictional or true, and it can be written, read aloud, or made up on the spot. Journalists write stories for newspapers, and gossips spread stories that may or may not be true. A story can be historical; the root of story, the Latin word historia, means both "history" and "story."
Vocabulary lists containing story
Structural Engineering
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Foundational Reading
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Creative Writing - Introductory
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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:
The film’s multigenerational story touches on the cultural inheritance passed between mothers, daughters and grandmothers — whether through old traditions or ordinary rituals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Elon Musk promoted the story to his 241 million followers.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
Well said — but it’s not the whole story.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you could speak to a health professional or an organisation that offers support.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Believing their story, the guards let them in.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Nearly 50 years after it was taken, the image continues to attract attention, appearing most recently in the V&A East exhibition The Music Is Black: A British Story.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
“There’s something to be said about the staff work, and verifying before we do something like that publicly,” Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst told Raw Story.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026
Wigglesworth is the author of “Trillions,” a history of the index-fund revolution, and his new book, “A Fabulous Debt: The Epic Story of How Bonds Built the Modern World,” is out Sept. 29 from Portfolio/Penguin.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
In “Ausländer: One Family’s Story of Escape and Exile,” Mr. Moritz traces the generational arc of trauma and displacement that has also encompassed his own life experience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
“Still here? Ayanna and the others are leaving for the Golden Crescent and the Story Box. They need you! Have you two been chitchatting the whole time?”
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
The stories and novellas of Honoré de Balzac, Guy de Maupassant, Anton Chekhov and Robert Louis Stevenson have sustained me through dark and stormy nights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Nansi's godson, Dai Powell, campaigned for greater recognition and said stories of what happened were passed down through his family for decades.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
"You have to sort of understand that structure in order to do it successfully. And it's just not what we do. It's not the way our brains think about stories," Joel explained.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
“You can’t replace the experience of going through a play with someone together, whether you’re an audience member or the artist, of experiencing from Shakespeare’s stories to beyond,” Rosoff said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Good medicine on the menu, stories on the side.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Although the final sale price came in well below Paul’s original nearly $10 million asking price, the transaction officially closes the chapter on the actor’s ownership of one of Los Angeles’ most storied celebrity homes.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Doricko says, "Jordan residents often only have water for hours per week from their utility because of how scarce water is, and it's a privilege to try to help this storied region."
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Confront your haters: Speaking of human relationships in the digital age, staff writer Luke Winkie recently went on a deep dive into Slate’s storied comment section.
From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2026
The storied VC firm is investing $35 million in an unaccredited San Francisco-based two-year alternative to traditional college for students ages 16 to 22.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Since he had started at the paper in 1910, Brougham had become something of a local legend, renowned for his uncanny ability to extract information from storied figures like Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
I mean this book doesn't do a lot of war storying.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 17, 2018
Behold now! of my godhead I will make Thy senses burn with vision, storying The spirit of woman growing from loved to love.
From Emblems Of Love by Lascelles Abercrombie
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