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short story
noun
: an invented prose narrative shorter than a novel usually dealing with a few characters and aiming at unity of effect and often concentrating on the creation of mood rather than plot
Examples of short story in a Sentence
her very first short story was accepted for publication in a local journal
Recent Examples on the Web
Wainaina began his career publishing short stories—for little to no money—on mostly obscure Web sites and in the literary magazine Chimurenga.
—Alexis Okeowo, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2024
The best episode of the Boris Karloff series adapts a short story written by Robert E. Howard that was published way back in 1938.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024
It is based on a short story by Matt Query that first appeared on Reddit and was later published as a novel, co-written with his brother Harrison, by Grand Central Publishing titled Old Country.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Oct. 2024
The tales shared on the show were adaptations of public domain fairy tales, urban legends and short stories that were brought to life by an impressive young cast that included Ross Hull, Daniel DeSanto and JoAnna Garcia Swisher.
—Angela Andaloro, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1861, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near short story
Cite this Entry
“Short story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20story. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
short story
noun
: a short work of fiction usually dealing with a few characters and a single event
More from Merriam-Webster on short story
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about short story
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