story
noun
a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader; tale.
story
1 American
[stawr-ee, stohr-ee]
/ ˈstɔr i, ˈstoʊr i /
noun
-
stories
plural
-
a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader; tale.
-
a fictitious tale, shorter and less elaborate than a novel.
-
such narratives or tales as a branch of literature.
song and story.
-
the plot or succession of incidents of a novel, poem, drama, etc..
The characterizations were good, but the story was weak.
-
a narration of an incident or a series of events or an example of these that is or may be narrated, as an anecdote, joke, etc.
- Synonyms:
- recital
-
a narration of the events in the life of a person or the existence of a thing, or such events as a subject for narration.
the story of medicine; the story of his life.
-
a report or account of a matter; statement or allegation.
The story goes that he rejected the offer.
- Synonyms:
- description
-
a lie or fabrication.
What he said about himself turned out to be a story.
-
Obsolete. history.
verb (used with object)
storied,
storying
-
to ornament with pictured scenes, as from history or legend.
-
Obsolete. to tell the history or story of.
story
2
American
[stawr-ee, stohr-ee]
/ ˈstɔr i, ˈstoʊr i /
especially British,
storey
noun
-
stories
plural
-
a complete horizontal section of a building, having one continuous or practically continuous floor.
-
the set of rooms on the same floor or level of a building.
-
any major horizontal architectural division, as of a façade or the wall of a nave.
-
a layer.
Story
3
American
[stawr-ee, stohr-ee]
/ ˈstɔr i, ˈstoʊr i /
noun
-
Joseph, 1779–1845, U.S. jurist.
-
William Wetmore 1819–95, U.S. sculptor and poet.
story
1
British
/ ˈstɔːrɪ /
noun
-
a narration of a chain of events told or written in prose or verse
-
Also called: short story. a piece of fiction, briefer and usually less detailed than a novel
-
Also called: story line. the plot of a book, film, etc
-
an event that could be the subject of a narrative
-
a report or statement on a matter or event
-
the event or material for such a report
-
informal a lie, fib, or untruth
-
to leave out details in a narration
-
informal the familiar or regular course of events
-
it is commonly said or believed
verb
story
2
British
/ ˈstɔːrɪ /
noun
story
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of story1
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English stori(e), store, “(written or oral) narrative; history,” from Anglo-French (e)storie ( Old French estoire), from Latin historia history
Origin of story2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English stori(e), from Anglo-Latin (hi)storia architecture term for a picture decorating a building, a part of the building so decorated, hence floor, story, from Latin historia history
Explanation
If your little brother begs you to tell him a story, he wants to hear a short, entertaining tale. A narrative about people and events, usually including an interesting plot, is a story. A story can be fictional or true, and it can be written, read aloud, or made up on the spot. Journalists write stories for newspapers, and gossips spread stories that may or may not be true. A story can be historical; the root of story, the Latin word historia, means both "history" and "story."
Vocabulary lists containing story
Structural Engineering
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Foundational Reading
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Creative Writing - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A publicist for the Legally Blonde star said she "did not intend to harm anyone" and there was "much more to this story".
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you could speak to a health professional or an organisation that offers support.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
And Donte King, whose family endures racism both subtle and blatant, praises the filmmakers’ attempts to humanize people with contrasting viewpoints, saying he was pleased with getting to tell his story.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Most players involved were forced to acknowledge the whole story had been nonsense.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
At last, the true story of Phineas Gage is out in the open.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
Paul, his wife Lauren, their daughter Story Annabelle, and their son, Ryden Caspain, relocated from Los Angeles to Paris in 2025, following the devastating California wildfires.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
“There’s something to be said about the staff work, and verifying before we do something like that publicly,” Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst told Raw Story.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026
In “Ausländer: One Family’s Story of Escape and Exile,” Mr. Moritz traces the generational arc of trauma and displacement that has also encompassed his own life experience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
The row recalls the controversy over Trinidadian writer Jamir Nazir's The Serpent in the Grove, whose Commonwealth Short Story prize was initially withdrawn in July over allegations that it was written with generative AI.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
“Anansi. He waltzed in here, with his charm and his compliments, and presented the Story Box to us. ‘A gift,’ he said.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
He is excellent on the genesis of the Sherlock Holmes stories and the emergence of the journals that sprang up in the 1890s to accommodate them, such as the Strand Magazine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
It added that millions of women share health stories on the platform, including with hashtags like #Period and #Endometriosis.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
"You have to sort of understand that structure in order to do it successfully. And it's just not what we do. It's not the way our brains think about stories," Joel explained.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
“I think great plays and great stories ask questions and don’t provide answers. And I think some of us are indifferent about AI, but I think most of us are ambivalent about AI.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Every so often, tiny items ran only as fillers between bigger stories, reminding the American public “The three Fox Sisters … are alive.”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Cucinelli’s high-end positioning has left it almost alone, alongside storied Parisian fashion house Chanel, as a brand untarnished by the derailing of luxury’s supercycle, analysts at Berenberg wrote in a recent note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
“Breaking Bad” star Aaron Paul has finally found a buyer for his historic Los Angeles home, selling the storied property for $7.495 million more than a year after putting it on the market.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Doricko says, "Jordan residents often only have water for hours per week from their utility because of how scarce water is, and it's a privilege to try to help this storied region."
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Confront your haters: Speaking of human relationships in the digital age, staff writer Luke Winkie recently went on a deep dive into Slate’s storied comment section.
From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2026
This is the worst idea in the long and storied history of terrible ideas, right on up there with Julius Caesar marching up to the Roman Senate when he knew everyone wanted him dead.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
I mean this book doesn't do a lot of war storying.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 17, 2018
Behold now! of my godhead I will make Thy senses burn with vision, storying The spirit of woman growing from loved to love.
From Emblems Of Love by Lascelles Abercrombie
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
