backstory

Or back sto·ry

[bak-stawr-ee, ‑-stohr-ee]

noun

plural

backstories 

1. a narrative providing a history or background context, especially for a character or situation in a literary work, film, or dramatic series.

2. prequel.

Word History and Origins

Origin of backstory¹

1980–85; back ¹ ( def. ) + story ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

We create entire backstories, including betrayals, missing parents—the works.

Read more on Literature

With few words and next-to-no backstory, they allow two groups to emerge.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Neither in the movie nor in the musical do these vividly tasteless and self-regarding figures come across as appealing, although the musical does succeed in softening them with humor and amplifies Jackie’s backstory.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

There’s one scene in which Grace reveals a snippet of backstory that might explain her psychology, and I think that specificity is a narrative misstep.

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What’s a bit befuddling is how “All Her Fault” introduces major elements of its characters’ backstories far later than seems fair on the part of the storytellers, or judicious on the part of the parents.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal