metanarrative

British  

/ ˈmɛtəˌnærətɪv /

noun

1. (in postmodernist literary theory) a narrative about a narrative or narratives

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Etymology

Origin of metanarrative

C20: from _meta- + _narrative

Example Sentences

The effect of the metanarrative is to juxtapose Byron’s violent passions with the careful, repressed behavior of one who hoped to capture him in literature.

From The Wall Street Journal

Murphy’s work always tries to tease out a metanarrative about the American condition, whether the topic celebrates fame and glamor or indictment of our failings and excesses.

From Salon

Eilish has both the time-honored musicianship that awards shows admire and the metanarrative savvy of her digital-era generation.

From New York Times

But what about Dua Lipa, who has loads of hits but maybe no metanarrative?

From New York Times

Here, Cage takes that to the nth degree in a metanarrative that syncs his fandom’s Cage-related obsessions with his own reflections on stardom.

From New York Times