short story

American  

noun

1. a piece of prose fiction, usually under 10,000 words.

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short story British  

noun

1. a prose narrative of shorter length than the novel, esp one that concentrates on a single theme

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Other Word Forms

• short-story adjective

Etymology

Origin of short story

First recorded in 1885–90

Compare meaning

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

• short story vs. novella

Example Sentences

Welty’s novels and short stories are still celebrated for their richly described landscapes of her native South and their equally vivid view of the inner lives of her characters.

From The Wall Street Journal

The movie radiates the spare, rugged poetry of a short story or a John Prine song.

From Los Angeles Times

The dilemma isn’t a new one, as Truman Capote made clear in his 1967 short story “The Thanksgiving Visitor.”

From The Wall Street Journal

He sold his first short story to the Atlantic Monthly at the age of 23.

From The Wall Street Journal

This hefty collection promises “something for everyone” in its harvest of 20 short stories by current authors from David Avallone to Andrew Welsh-Huggins.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• narrative
• novella
• tale