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
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.
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 See all Example Sentences for short story 

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of short story was in 1861

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!