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fairy tale

[ fair-ee teyl ]
/ ˈfɛər i ˌteɪl /
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noun Sometimes fair·y sto·ry [fair-ee stawr-ee] /ˈfɛər i ˌstɔr i/ .
a story, usually for children, about elves, hobgoblins, dragons, fairies, or other magical creatures.
an incredible or misleading statement, account, or belief: His story of being a millionaire is just a fairy tale.
adjective fair·y-tale .
of, relating to, or suggesting a fairy tale: a fairy-tale castle.
idealized or romantic, often to an unrealistic extent: Many people still want to believe in true love and fairy-tale endings.
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Origin of fairy tale

First recorded in 1740–50
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fairy tale in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fairy tale (1 of 2)

fairy tale

fairy story


noun
a story about fairies or other mythical or magical beings, esp one of traditional origin told to children
a highly improbable account

British Dictionary definitions for fairy tale (2 of 2)

fairy-tale

adjective
of or relating to a fairy tale
resembling a fairy tale, esp in being extremely happy or fortunatea true story with a fairy-tale ending
highly improbablehe came out with a fairy-tale account of his achievements
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
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