backstory
Americannoun
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backstories
plural
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a narrative providing a history or background context, especially for a character or situation in a literary work, film, or dramatic series.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of backstory
1980–85; back 1 ( def. ) + story 1 ( def. )
Explanation
A backstory is a specific history that led up to the current situation. If your parents come home to find popcorn all over the house and the dog wearing a tutu, they'll probably want to know the backstory. Past events and circumstances that contribute to whatever's happening now can be called the backstory, in real life and also in fiction. Sometimes the backstory is spelled out for you, like a book character's lonely childhood that helps explain their difficulty connecting with people as an adult. Film actors sometimes invent a backstory for their roles, to help them understand why they behave the way they do. Backstory is a shortened version of "background story."
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:
But for Andoni Iraola and Liverpool, this will be an opportunity to truly kickstart their own campaign, fuelled by a backstory like no other.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Steinbeck never points to a definitive incitement to explain her behavior, instead writing, “I believe there are monsters born in the world to human parents” to open a chapter devoted to Cathy’s backstory.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
Eve resists scream-queen clichés, but Gemma’s boringly typical tortured backstory is as flat as her wan chemistry with Nick.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
The overall tongue-in-cheekiness of “Lanterns” makes it wobbly stuff for allegory, but the more alarming aspect is the John Stewart backstory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
I returned to the top of the page and read the whole entry again, but this time I didn’t skip the backstory.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Contestants’ backstories are provided to make you care for some; others show themselves to be less sympathetic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Dramatic backstories about "secret inventions" or "industry breakthroughs"
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
His script is richly layered with character details and heartwrenching backstories that encourage the viewer to go deeper, to spend time analyzing their own discomfort.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
The critical and fan response, as well as the opportunity to explore new characters’ backstories, led Lucasfilm to choose this show to spin off into a movie, according to sources close to the studio.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
We create entire backstories, including betrayals, missing parents—the works.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
