parable

American  

[par-uh-buhl] / ˈpær ə bəl /

noun

parables plural

1. a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.

   Synonyms:

   apologue, homily, allegory

2. a statement or comment that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison, analogy, or the like.

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parable British  

/ ˈpærəbəl, pəˈræbəlɪst /

noun

1. a short story that uses familiar events to illustrate a religious or ethical point

2. any of the stories of this kind told by Jesus Christ

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• parabolist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• parables
  plural

Etymology

Origin of parable

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English parabil, from Late Latin parabola “allegory, comparison, word,” from Greek parabolḗ “comparison,” from para- para- ¹ + bolḗ “a throw”

Compare meaning

How does parable compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• allegory vs. parable

Explanation

A parable is a short and simple story that teaches a religious or moral lesson. The parable of the Good Samaritan and the parable of the Prodigal Son are just two examples of the many parables attributed to Jesus, as recorded in the four gospels. Parable descends from the Greek parabolē, "a comparison, analogy," from paraballein, "to compare," from the prefix para-, "beside," plus ballein, "to throw." The sense of comparing, or throwing an idea beside another, is at the heart of the word. When you hear a parable, you're meant to use the comparison to learn how to act — the fox's "sour grapes" are compared to your own downgrading of the thing you cannot have.

Example Sentences

With this intimate, painful epiphany, the show’s larger parable about obligingly submitting to ahistorical ignorance is blunted with a spiritually benevolent ideal.

From Salon • Jun. 18, 2026

The film is, he said, is "another parable of parental crisis dressed up as a brightly coloured family adventure" - and a "cautionary tale about online childhoods".

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026

Mr. Smith is an insightful filmmaker and “Bring Me the Beauties” is a stylishly constructed parable about naivete and spiritual emptiness.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

The same could just as unnervingly be said about “The Crucible,” Miller’s parable about the McCarthy witch hunts.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

God was testing him like Job, he declared, and the point of that particular parable was that Job had done no wrong to begin with.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• fable
• tale