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

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

Word Origin and History for saga

saga

1709, an antiquarians' revival to describe the medieval prose narratives of Iceland and Norway, from Old Norse saga "saga, story," cognate with Old English sagu "a saying" (see saw (n.2)). Properly, a narrative composition of Iceland or Norway in the Middle Ages, or one that has their characteristics. Meaning "long, convoluted story" is from 1857.

saga

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of saga

Examples from the Web for saga

British Dictionary definitions for saga

saga

noun

Word Origin for saga

Word Origin and History for saga

saga