saga

[ sah-guh ]

/ ˈsɑ gə /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR saga ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a medieval Icelandic or Norse prose narrative of achievements and events in the history of a personage, family, etc.

any narrative or legend of heroic exploits.

Also called saga novel. a form of the novel in which the members or generations of a family or social group are chronicled in a long and leisurely narrative.

a dramatic history of a group, place, industry, etc.: the saga of the transcontinental railroad.

any very long story with dramatic events or parts: the sad saga of her life in poverty.

Nearby words

sag, sag bag, sag harbor, sag rod, sag wagon, saga, sagacious, sagacity, sagami sea, sagamihara, sagamore

Origin of saga

1700–10; < Old Norse; cognate with saw³

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for saga

I have known Alliata for many years and have written of this saga twice before.
In Tussle Over Will, Mistress’s Family Takes a Bite Out of NYU|Anthony Haden-Guest|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ultimately, the big news in the saga of the cable bundle are the effects of the new lower priced tiers evolving.
Oh Yes, He’s The Great Connector: Jason Hirschhorn’s Expertly Curated World|Lloyd Grove|October 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The saga is a bit more terrifying and Harlacher hopes this adds you to his “body count.”
New York’s Scariest Night Out: The Ghosts, Rats, and Lunatics of ‘Nightmare New York’|Justin Jones|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yes, there are several, arguably illuminating revelations in the Chander-dog saga, but the endgame is the same.
15 Times ‘Friends’ Was Really, Really Weird|Kevin Fallon|September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Now that he's been captured by the Russians (again), where do you see the saga of Jack Bauer going from here?
‘24: Live Another Day’ Showrunners on the Finale, the Dangers of Drones, and Jack Bauer’s Future|Marlow Stern|July 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Skjoldunga saga here mentioned is an account of the kings of Denmark.
Beowulf|R. W. Chambers
Throughout the saga the Fians are more than mere mortals, even in those very parts which are claimed as historical.
The Religion of the Ancient Celts|J. A. MacCulloch
We should not now combine a Norse saga with an excerpt from a novel by George Meredith.
Ulysses|James Joyce
An instructive parallel may be adduced from the saga of Cuchulainn.
Parzival (vol. 1 of 2)|Wolfram von Eschenback
The Saga of Charlemagne is said to have been embroidered on twenty-six ells of linen, and hung in a church in Iceland.
Needlework As Art|Marian Alford

British Dictionary definitions for saga

saga

/ (ˈsɑːɡə) /

noun

any of several medieval prose narratives written in Iceland and recounting the exploits of a hero or a family

any similar heroic narrative

Also called: saga novel a series of novels about several generations or members of a family

any other artistic production said to resemble a saga

informal a series of events or a story stretching over a long period

Word Origin for saga

C18: from Old Norse: a narrative; related to Old English secgan to say 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012