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.
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.
a lie or fabrication.
What he said about himself turned out to be a story.
Obsolete. history.
to ornament with pictured scenes, as from history or legend.
Obsolete. to tell the history or story of.
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.
Joseph, 1779–1845, U.S. jurist.
William Wetmore 1819–95, U.S. sculptor and poet.
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
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
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
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."
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From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Lizarraga is one of the company’s partners, according to a 2025 story.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
"That has at least been a part of the calculus of why Mexican cartels have escalated their operations in Africa. That to say though, it is only part of the story," said Griego.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
FIFA's statement was a rapid response to a story in British newspapers The Times and The Financial Times based on leaks of the plan from two sources.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
And so Betsie and I arrived in Barracks 8 in the small hours of that morning, bringing not only the Bible, but a new knowledge of the power of Him whose story it was.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
They each also posted one of the photos on their Instagram Story with Perry Como’s “And I Love You So” as background music.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Disney's "Toy Story 5" fell to fourth place in its fifth week, with an estimated domestic weekend take of $13 million, for a global total of nearly $958 million.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
And if that’s not quite your thing, here’s what Slate critics thought of several other movies that are still playing in theaters: The Invite, Supergirl, Minions & Monsters, Toy Story 5, Disclosure Day, and Obsession.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
Couple this book with Edward Chancellor’s also excellent The Price of Time: The Real Story of Interest, published in 2022, and you can learn most of what you need to think intelligently about bonds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
“We ain’t got time to chew the fat. Grab that Story Box for me, will you?”
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
Their stories are remarkable, but they are acutely aware that not everyone has positive views about asylum seekers.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Several chapters are devoted to Kip’s stories of defusing bombs and saving English lives, all aided by Lord Suffolk’s encouragement.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
As he led us around, he delved into the nerdy details of winemaking and provided back stories to the winery’s most popular bottles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
I had long admired her, especially the rollicking and indispensable “Slow Days, Fast Company,” first published in 1977, a charming and insightful series of stories bursting with pluck and sass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
The steps wound up and up—so far up that he was certain they’d gone much higher than the shack’s two stories.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Hospitality veteran Clemens Keller insists that Vienna's storied "heuriger" winemakers' taverns -- which face a hangover-inducing brew of real estate speculation, spiralling costs and climate change -- cannot rely on their illustrious past.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
The competition—known as the May Bumps, despite occurring in June—is a wet and wild demolition derby in the shadows of England’s most storied halls of learning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
The pair will resume one of international football's most storied rivalries at the Atlanta Stadium, as England bid to defeat the defending champions and reach their first World Cup final since 1966.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The Academy Award-winning star and her husband, director Taylor Hackford, have relisted their longtime Hollywood Hills estate for just a touch under $13 million after completing an extensive renovation at the storied property.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
And though she would live the first fifteen years of her life within walking distance of Herat, Mariam would never see this storied tree.
From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
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 Abercrombie, Lascelles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
