origin story

American

[awr-i-jin stawr-ee, or-i-jin] / ˈɔr ɪ dʒɪn ˌstɔr i, ˈɒr ɪ dʒɪn /

noun

a backstory, or established background narrative, that informs the identity and motivations of heroes and villains in a comic book or similar fictional work.

The superhero’s origin story begins with a tragic accident that left him scarred, but also resulted in his supernatural powers.

Etymology

Origin of origin story

First recorded in 1910–15

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.

With diGenova, the man who created the case’s very origin story, they have their dream team in place.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026

It would be hard to think of an artist with a more fraught origin story than Noguchi.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

DePetro launched into his origin story with me: He initially built a following on Facebook and TikTok by filming the unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026

Sheen called it the "origin story of our nation" when the production was first announced in April.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

That was the origin story of Jule West Williams.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023