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.
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.
a lie or fabrication.
What he said about himself turned out to be a story.
Obsolete. history.
to ornament with pictured scenes, as from history or legend.
Obsolete. to tell the history or story of.
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.
Joseph, 1779–1845, U.S. jurist.
William Wetmore 1819–95, U.S. sculptor and poet.
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
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
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
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."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The cracked beams at 222 Broadway were also located on a newly built top floor: The 32nd story was added to support the rooftop pool deck.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
"When prevention disappears, infections rise. When treatment is interrupted, people die. We know how this story ends if we fail to act," warned Byanyima.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Stern: Ordinary people standing up for what they know the Constitution guarantees: That turns out to be the origin story of pretty much every major civil rights movement in America.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
What began as a chance encounter on a flight to Las Vegas could soon be heading to the big screen, as a group of grandmothers and a pro-wrestler discuss a film based on their story.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
And while there is a good reason for that—a story that dates back to the night of his undeath—it is not my tale to tell.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
For something less medieval, the sad suburbanites of HBO’s “DTF St. Louis” might do the trick, or the tragic romance of “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette” from FX.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
And if that’s not quite your thing, here’s what Slate critics thought of several other movies that are still playing in theaters: The Invite, Supergirl, Minions & Monsters, Toy Story 5, Disclosure Day, and Obsession.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5” continued its strong run with an $18.5-million haul, enough for third place and contributing to a total global gross of $879.1 million.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
Here's the story in five key scenes, helped by Dr David Musgrove, co-author of The Story of the Bayeux Tapestry and content director of HistoryExtra magazine and podcast.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
“And I’m sorry, High John, but we’re taking the Story Box back with us. It’s the only shot we have at saving MidPass!”
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
As he led us around, he delved into the nerdy details of winemaking and provided back stories to the winery’s most popular bottles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
There are lots of parallels between these two stories: family members getting separated from loved ones, then turning to the courts, specifically to habeas corpus petitions, to claim that the separation is unlawful.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Common to much of the user-generated content are eerie images and haunting stories of mysterious, yellow wallpapered corridors and empty office-like spaces that exist outside of, or beyond, reality itself.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
Hearing the stories of today, she said, “triggers everything that they went through.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
It wasn’t only the stories she told, it was the way she told them.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
A deal would also transform one of Silicon Valley’s most storied companies, whose yellow-and-blue button has long ruled online payments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
The pair will resume one of international football's most storied rivalries at the Atlanta Stadium, as England bid to defeat the defending champions and reach their first World Cup final since 1966.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The Ellison family would control such storied franchises as Harry Potter, Bugs Bunny, Batman, “Top Gun” and “Game of Thrones.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
The Academy Award-winning star and her husband, director Taylor Hackford, have relisted their longtime Hollywood Hills estate for just a touch under $13 million after completing an extensive renovation at the storied property.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
And though she would live the first fifteen years of her life within walking distance of Herat, Mariam would never see this storied tree.
From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
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 Abercrombie, Lascelles
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.
