saga

American  

[sah-guh] / ˈsɑ gə /

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.

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saga British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of saga

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

Explanation

When your friend tells you every detail of how she tripped over a rock, broke her ankle, and then got into a car accident on the way to the hospital, she is sharing a long, involved story known as a saga. The word saga has its origins in the Middle Ages. In those days, a saga was an historical tale of the first families who lived in Norway or Iceland. Today the word is used to describe a very complicated or detailed series of events. A saga is the kind of long, drawn-out story that can cause the people who hear it to roll their eyes in boredom.

Example Sentences

Dubbing the saga the "chancellor swap" debate, German media have reported the name of Hendrik Wuest -- the state premier of North Rhein-Westphalia -- is circulating as a possible alternative.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

The emigrant ship is one of many familiar images from Irish history that surface throughout Ms. O’Farrell’s saga, which largely spans the period from 1865 to after the Irish Civil War.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

The live-in personal assistant to Friends star Matthew Perry has been sentenced to 41 months in prison, capping a multi-year legal saga surrounding the actor's death.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

The ruling is the latest twist in a long-running legal saga that began in March 2011, when criminal charges were filed against Airbus and Air France.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

This family saga is extremely well written, but the parts dealing with war, writers and the emancipation of women aren’t very good.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank