narrative

American  

[nar-uh-tiv] / ˈnær ə tɪv /

noun

narratives plural

1. a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious.

   Synonyms:

   tale, chronicle

2. a book, literary work, etc., containing such a story.

3. the art, technique, or process of narrating, or of telling a story.

   Somerset Maugham was a master of narrative.

4. a story that connects and explains a carefully selected set of supposedly true events, experiences, or the like, intended to support a particular viewpoint or thesis.

   to rewrite the prevailing narrative about masculinity; the narrative that our public schools are failing.

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adjective

1. consisting of or being a narrative.

   a narrative poem.

2. of or relating to narration, or the telling of a story.

   My English teacher's narrative skill makes characters seem to come to life.

3. Fine Arts. representing stories or events pictorially or sculpturally.

   narrative painting.

narrative British  

/ ˈnærətɪv /

noun

1. an account, report, or story, as of events, experiences, etc

2. the part of a literary work that relates events

3. the process or technique of narrating

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adjective

1. telling a story

   a narrative poem

2. of or relating to narration

   narrative art

Synonym Usage

Narrative, account, recital, history are terms for a story of an event or events. Narrative is the general term (for a story long or short; of past, present, or future; factual or imagined; told for any purpose; and with or without much detail). The other three terms apply primarily to factual stories of time already past. An account is usually told informally, often for entertainment, with emphasis on details of action, whether about an incident or a series of happenings. A recital is an extended narrative usually with an informative purpose, emphasizing accuracy and exhaustive details of facts and figures. A history, usually written and at some length, is characterized by a tracing of causes and effects, and by an attempt to estimate, evaluate, and interpret facts.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonnarrative
  adjective
• seminarrative
  adjective
• narratively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• narratives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of narrative

First recorded in 1445–55; from Middle French narratif (adjective and noun), from Late Latin narrātīvus “narration” (noun), “suitable for narration” (adjective), from narrāt(us) “related, told” (past participle of narrāre “to relate, tell, say”) + -īvus, adjective suffix; equivalent to narrate ( def. ) + -ive ( def. )

Explanation

A narrative is a story that you write or tell to someone, usually in great detail. A narrative can be a work of poetry or prose, or even song, theater, or dance. Often a narrative is meant to include the "whole story." A summary will give a few key details and then the narrative will delve into the details. "I hate to interrupt your narrative," is a polite way of stopping someone in the middle of a story. The origin of this noun is the Latin adjective narrativus, from narrare "to tell," from gnarus "knowing." It is related to our English verb know.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

narrative narratives

A false alarm became part of the narrative when the Heat posted a link July 21 to a scheduled live stream titled “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference” to its YouTube channel.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

The flesh-and-blood narrative offers a new take on 2011's "Green Lantern," a Ryan Reynolds-led space adventure movie.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

This is less a survival narrative than a study of the mind’s refusal to accept extinction, the “positive, unquestionable nothingness” for which we are all, inevitably, headed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

When it comes to movies, people will buy into a marketing narrative just to experience it themselves, but that alone isn’t enough to call a movie an all-timer.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

At Leah’s, Maggie and Kate were fed a relentless narrative that they had been chosen to speak to the dead.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Often, commentators first clarify that they’re open to questioning narratives before arguing that this specific narrative shouldn’t be questioned.

From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026

Conflicting narratives are not unusual after police or federal agents use force, but they are precisely why transparency measures exist.

From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026

“These narratives form, and people can’t resist them, and that bedevils people time and time again,” says Ptak.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

Following the ceremony, Chief Rabbi Schudrich spoke out against divisive narratives surrounding the history of the massacre.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

Today they speak back, as individuals and as sovereign nations, against ongoing trauma and the consequences of conquest and terminal narratives.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Related Words

• account
• anecdote
• book
• chronicle
• chronology
• description
• detail
• fiction
• history
• narration
• plot
• version