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metanarrative

British  
/ ˈmɛtəˌnærətɪv /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of metanarrative

C20: from meta- + narrative

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:

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 Dec. 26, 2025

It’s not fan service like Taylor Swift’s Easter eggs, but it reflects an understanding that for many listeners, and perhaps especially for those who may not bother to listen at all, the metanarrative matters.

From New York Times Nov. 8, 2022

Inscryption is a deck-building card-battling roguelike but with a fantastically dark and mysterious metanarrative that elevates it from “interesting” to “utterly engrossing.”

From The Verge Jun. 23, 2022

Ben, you also have a good point about the metanarrative around Cyberpunk.

From Slate Dec. 23, 2020

All of this falls under the metanarrative of an attack on collectivism.

From Salon Feb. 4, 2016

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