saga

[sah-guh]

noun

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

2. any narrative or legend of heroic exploits.

   Synonyms: history, tale, epic

3. 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.

4. a dramatic history of a group, place, industry, etc..

   the saga of the transcontinental railroad.

5. any very long story with dramatic events or parts.

   the sad saga of her life in poverty.

saga

/ ˈsɑːɡə /

noun

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

2. any similar heroic narrative

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

4. any other artistic production said to resemble a saga

5. informal,  a series of events or a story stretching over a long period

Word History and Origins

Origin of saga¹

First recorded in 1700–10; from Old Norse: literally, “story, narrative, history”; cognate with saw ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of saga¹

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

Example Sentences

This whole saga, twenty years of it, was built on denial.

Read more on BBC

That all adds up to a mixed conclusion to the Blenrep saga, which has dogged GSK for the past three years.

Read more on Barron's

The author’s family saga unfolds the hardship and beauty of life in a rural corner of Kentucky.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The sentence concludes a long-running saga of dangerous mishaps and close calls in and around school grounds.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But his chronicle of that heist expands into a saga of psychological suspense spanning nearly two decades and following half a dozen characters whose lives are twisted into grotesque shapes by their addictive compulsions.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal