backstory

or back sto·ry

[ bak-stawr-ee, ‐stohr-ee ]

/ ˈbækˌstɔr i, ‐ˌstoʊr i /

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noun, plural back·sto·ries.

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

prequel.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of backstory

1980–85; back¹ + story¹

Words nearby backstory

backstage, backstairs, backstay, backstitch, backstop, backstory, back straight, backstrap loom, back street, backstretch, backstroke

How to use backstory in a sentence

It’s a crime seemingly unbefitting of a gentleman thief until we get the backstory of the woman’s treasures, which include a rare Fabergé egg.
‘Lupin’ is a thrilling heist series, but it goes deeper than that|Bethonie Butler|January 21, 2021|Washington Post
Penelope has a backstory befitting a high-society gossip columnist — after all, her nickname is literally Pen.
‘Bridgerton’ dropped several clues about Lady Whistledown’s identity. Did they add up?|Bethonie Butler|January 6, 2021|Washington Post
Although we don’t get much backstory on Kylie’s relationship with her mom and stepdad, the tension they greet each other with upon her return home lingers for most of the movie.
One Good Thing: Housebound is the perfect horror comedy for the perpetually quarantined|Aja Romano|December 31, 2020|Vox
All of this backstory makes Citizen Kane look like a needling act of revenge, and a profoundly surgical one, calculated to dissect Hearst’s greatest weaknesses on a big screen for everyone to see.
The tangled history behind David Fincher’s Mank — and its link to Citizen Kane — explained|Alissa Wilkinson|December 4, 2020|Vox

When she was 10, she landed on a radio show run by Cas Walker, a raccoon hunter-turned-grocery store magnate, because everyone in the Dollyverse has a colorful backstory.
‘Dolly Parton, Songteller’ is a gold mine of little-seen photos and personal anecdotes|Allison Stewart|November 30, 2020|Washington Post
We spent a lot of time creating a backstory for our “Man” played by David Logan Rankin.
Nitehawk Shorts Festival: ‘Brute,’ a Twisted Take on Playing in the Dark|Julia Grinberg|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If this sounds a lot like the Abu Nazir backstory, well, it should.
‘Homeland’ Season 4: A Stripped-Down and Surprisingly Badass Return to Form|Marlow Stern|September 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We are left with stalwart genres (action, rom com) and classic roles (prude, seductress, jock, backstory-less best friend).
It Ain't Easy Being Bisexual on TV|Amy Zimmerman|August 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A dial-in audio guide (888-763-8839) gives you the backstory behind the bizarre displays.
New York’s Tiniest—and Weirdest—Museum|Nina Strochlic|May 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was wondering if you had constructed some kind of backstory for him.
The Great Character Actor: Guy Pearce on His Brilliant Career, From ‘Priscilla’ to ‘The Rover’|Richard Porton|May 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for backstory

back story

noun

the events which take place before, and which help to bring about, the events portrayed in a film

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