parable
[ par-uh-buhl ]
/ ˈpær ə bəl /
noun
a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.
a statement or comment that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison, analogy, or the like.
Nearby words
Origin of parable
1275–1325; Middle English parabil < Late Latin parabola comparison, parable, word < Greek parabolḗ comparison, equivalent to para- para-1 + bolḗ a throwing
Related formspa·rab·o·list [puh-rab-uh-list] /pəˈræb ə lɪst/, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for parable
British Dictionary definitions for parable
parable
/ (ˈpærəbəl) /
noun
a short story that uses familiar events to illustrate a religious or ethical pointRelated adjectives: parabolic, parabolical
any of the stories of this kind told by Jesus Christ
Derived Formsparabolist (pəˈræbəlɪst), noun
Word Origin for parable
C14: from Old French parabole, from Latin parabola comparison, from Greek parabolē analogy, from paraballein to throw alongside, from para- 1 + ballein to throw
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for parable
parable
mid-13c., parabol, modern form from early 14c., "saying or story in which something is expressed in terms of something else," from Old French parable "parable, parabolic style in writing" (13c.), from Latin parabola "comparison," from Greek parabole "a comparison, parable," literally "a throwing beside," hence "a juxtaposition," from para- "alongside" (see para- (1)) + bole "a throwing, casting, beam, ray," related to ballein "to throw" (see ballistics).
Replaced Old English bispell. In Vulgar Latin, parabola took on the meaning "word," hence Italian parlare, French parler "to speak" (see parley (n.)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper