Trivia Time

In which fictional narrative is the protagonist a perpetually confused idealist with romantic yearnings?

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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 stronger-than-forecast print would reinforce the narrative that the U.S. economy is running hot, and would likely sharpen the likelihood of a Fed hike.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

That narrative is one of many utilised by both clubs as inspiration for this Grand Final encounter, with several on both sides.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

“Investor focus is solely on the transition to a physical AI company and the stock price is driven by narrative and sentiment around future possibilities from AI ventures,” Spak said in a note to clients.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

In a sport that heavily encourages everyone watching to follow the narrative, it’s hard not to notice a pattern.

From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026

As Javi told me, “He just got in front of the narrative, man. That's how it works.”

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely

The embassy said Iran "reserves the right to take appropriate legal measures, as necessary, to safeguard the rights and interests of the country and its people in response to misleading and damaging media narratives".

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

“We strongly believe that fear-based narratives are not the way to make the right decisions about the future of such a foundational and empowering technology or bring the public along with us,” said Delangue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

For those who are tired of such narratives, the appeal of the show will be in its interpretive stagecraft, which is impressive and clever.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

Several researchers have observed that, since the 1980s, the Viking Age has been used to create convenient contemporary narratives.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026

Even Mercy was surprised, and frequently a little disturbed at the drama that Kit seemed to discover in these long- familiar narratives.

From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare

Related Words

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