narration

American  

[na-rey-shuhn] / næˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

narrations plural

1. something narrated; an account, story, or narrative.

2. the act or process of narrating.

3. a recital of events, especially in chronological order, as the story narrated in a poem or the exposition in a drama.

4. Rhetoric. (in classical speech) the third part, the exposition of the question.

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narration British  

/ nəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of narrating

2. a narrated account or story; narrative

3. (in traditional rhetoric) the third step in making a speech, the putting forward of the question

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narration Cultural  

1. The recounting of an event or series of events; the act of telling a story.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonnarration
  noun
• narrational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• narrations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of narration

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin narrātiōn-, stem of narrātiō “narrative, story”; equivalent to narrate + -ion

Explanation

Narration is the act of telling a story, usually in some kind of chronological order. Making up a scary ghost story and relating it around a camp fire is an act of narration. Narration generally means any kind of explaining or telling of something. It is usually used in reference to storytelling. If you've ever watched a television show where one character's voice talks directly to the audience, then you've heard narration. You will often find narration happening in songs where the singer is telling the story of how something happened — like the day he lost his guitar, his truck, his wife, and started singing the blues.

Example Sentences

“Ghost-Eye” relates this story from the year 2020 through the narration of Shoma’s nephew, Dinu.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Magnason’s opening narration over spectacular footage of glaciers — up close and from far away — gently informs us that we’re watching a time capsule, one where the bonds of family and environment are intertwined.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

Travolta’s narration hints at the realizations that come later, when age and education help shine new light onto the shadowy parts of the past.

From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026

The landmark series Sir David works on often take three or four years to complete, with his involvement stretching far beyond narration.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

When his narration reached his moving to Boston to live with his half- sister Ella, Malcolm X began to laugh about how “square” he had been in the ghetto streets.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Related Words

• anecdote
• narrative
• tale
• voice-over