nar·ra·tive
ˈner-ə-tiv 
ˈna-rə-
1
b
: a way of presenting or understanding a situation or series of events that reflects and promotes a particular point of view or set of values
The rise of the Tea Party and the weakness of the Obama economy have fueled a Republican narrative about Big Government as a threat to liberty …—
Michael Grunwald
Michael GrunwaldThe media narrative around Kelly's appointment had two central ideas … : He would calm and professionalize the White House, and he would provide a more measured leadership style than his boss.—Perry Bacon, Jr.
Perry Bacon, Jr.2
: the art or practice of narration
… depended not on narrative but on intensity derived from the verity to make the book jump.—Stanley Kauffmann
Stanley Kauffmann3
: the representation in art of an event or story
also
: an example of such a representation
the narrative of St. Joan of Arc
narratively
adverb
1
: having the form of a story or representing a story
a narrative poem
narrative paintings
2
: of or relating to the process of telling a story
the author's narrative style
the novel's narrative structure
Synonyms
Examples of narrative in a Sentence
Noun
He is writing a detailed narrative of his life on the island.
People have questioned the accuracy of his narrative.
Recent Examples on the Web
Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Parker recorded interviews with 12 British men and women who had been convicted of murder, then transcribed and edited their words to create a series of extraordinary first-person narratives.
—The Week Us, theweek, 12 Nov. 2024
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
What really attracted me to the project was really Midi’s style and Midi’s very unique narrative style of his movies and his stories.
—Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for narrative 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The Democratic-leaning Latino groups pushed back on that narrative, citing their own polling.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Parker recorded interviews with 12 British men and women who had been convicted of murder, then transcribed and edited their words to create a series of extraordinary first-person narratives.
—The Week Us, theweek, 12 Nov. 2024
Adjective
The roles the women on these shows spend years cultivating, whether intentionally or not, limit their narrative possibilities.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
What really attracted me to the project was really Midi’s style and Midi’s very unique narrative style of his movies and his stories.
—Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for narrative
Dictionary Entries Near narrative
Cite this Entry
“Narrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narrative. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
narrative
noun
nar·ra·tive
ˈnar-ət-iv
1
: something (as a story) that is told or written
2
: the art or practice of telling stories
narrative
adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share