origin story

[awr-i-jin stawr-ee, or-i-jin]

noun

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of origin story¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

“Hamnet,” from director Chloé Zhao, spins a family’s brutal loss into a fictionalized origin story for Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Every family has a Thanksgiving origin story.

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Palantir’s origin story and unconventional CEO offer clues.

Read more on MarketWatch

From the stage, Romano recounted the show’s origin story, which dates back to his 1995 stand-up comedy debut on the “Late Show With David Letterman.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The much-anticipated sequel, released on Friday, sees Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande reprise their roles as Elphaba and Glinda in the origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Read more on BBC