tale

American  

[teyl] / teɪl /

noun

1. a narrative that relates the details of some real or imaginary event, incident, or case; story.

   a tale about Lincoln's dog.

2. a literary composition having the form of such a narrative.

3. a falsehood; lie.

4. a rumor or piece of gossip, often malicious or untrue.

5. the full number or amount.

6. Archaic. enumeration; count.

7. Obsolete. talk; discourse.

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tale British  

/ teɪl /

noun

1. a report, narrative, or story

2. one of a group of short stories connected by an overall narrative framework

3. 1. a malicious or meddlesome rumour or piece of gossip

      to bear tales against someone

   2. ( in combination )

      talebearer

      taleteller

4. a fictitious or false statement

5. 1. to tell fanciful lies

   2. to report malicious stories, trivial complaints, etc, esp to someone in authority

6. to reveal something important

7. to be self-evident

8. archaic

   1. a number; amount

   2. computation or enumeration

9. an obsolete word for talk

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tale Idioms  

1. see old wives' tale; tall tale; tell tales; thereby hangs a tale.

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Etymology

Origin of tale

before 900; Middle English; Old English talu series, list, narrative, story; cognate with Dutch taal speech, language, German Zahl number, Old Norse tala number, speech. See tell ¹

Explanation

A tale is a story, especially one that's full of creative embellishments. You can read a tale from a book, or tell a bedtime tale to the kids you're babysitting. Tales can be true or fictional, but they generally consist of a narrative, with a beginning and an end, made more interesting and exciting with vivid details. Some tales are meant to teach specific lessons (like your family's history or your community's values), while others simply relay a funny story. Tale can also mean "lie," like when your mom asks, "You're not telling a tale, are you?"

Example Sentences

But the real villain of the tale is unmistakable: It is Rodney, dispatched to St. Eustatius in 1781 with 13 warships to halt the arms smuggling.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Spirit’s collapse is a cautionary tale for people who hoard company loyalty points, said Katy Nastro, a travel expert at the travel site Going.

From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026

While “Lord of the Flies” remains a tragic and cautionary tale, Thorne, who first tried adapting it 15 years ago, sees glimpses of hope in it.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

The themes range from a coming-of-age tale set in a high school to a love story between a billionaire and a security guard.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Each time he had given those unsettling warnings, he had been airing out his own trauma, distancing himself from it by reducing it to a cautionary tale.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Related Words

• account
• anecdote
• fable
• fiction
• legend
• myth
• narrative
• novel
• short story
• yarn