narrative

1
2
as in tale
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel in such narratives as "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Purloined Letter," Edgar Allan Poe essentially created the modern detective story

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of narrative This brand was built on strong product narratives, with brilliant marketing expressed through big ideas. David Moin, WWD, 7 Mar. 2025 This hat narrowly avoids the bottom of the list — not for its beauty or its splendor, but rather for its contribution to the narrative. Kinsey Jasnoch, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025 Highlighting women's contributions in various fields can inspire others and promote a more inclusive narrative. William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025 This difference in perception can create friction with white women, who may frame these struggles through a lens of personal failings, a narrative that imposter syndrome encourages. Shari Dunn, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for narrative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for narrative
Noun
  • Forbes Daily: Join over 1 million Forbes Daily subscribers and get our best stories, exclusive reporting and essential analysis of the day’s news in your inbox every weekday.
    Chris Malone Mendez, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Both episodes owe a big spiritual debt to Lost, which also liked to toggle back and forth between the main island story, its characters’ former lives, and all its weird mythology.
    Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Passengers huddle to hear the fabled tale of a sailor who fell in love with the ocean, an allegory about bravery, exploration and transformation.
    Josh Rivera, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Were the tales of alien abduction that became popular in the 1980s a kind of mass hallucination?
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • This prismatic film seamlessly intermingles the political and the personal, and both chronology and geography aren’t observed in strictly logical ways.
    Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Bucking convention at every turn, Welles skipped around chronology freely, using inventive dissolves and edits to move the viewer back and forth in time.
    John Semley, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Stag Dance, by Torrey Peters Peters' collection - three short stories and a novella that shares the book's name- playfully wreaks havoc with the tenuous barriers established by gender conventions.
    Colin Dwyer, NPR, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Additional books in the immensely popular series include A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, the novella A Court of Frost and Starlight and A Court of Silver Flames.
    Keisha Hatchett, TVLine, 14 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The partnership started in 2024, focusing on creating exclusive trading cards and memorabilia that highlight the team's successful history in the sport.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Those aging Steam Decks might not be powerful enough to run a game like Half-Life 3 at maximum graphics settings, but Valve games have a history of scaling down well on low-end systems.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 1 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Although seeing wine on Instagram can still trigger her, following accounts that advocate alcohol-free living has helped.
    Kristen Mascia, Parents, 4 Mar. 2025
  • In a statement, Mr. Buzbee pushed back against the contention that the woman had recanted her account of rape.
    Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • And while the studio version ends with a calm, quiet narration by actor Yeo Jin-goo, the Ruby Experience transformed the song’s outro into an energetic, live band version as Jennie celebrated the night with her dancers and a big bow to thank the audience.
    Kristine Kwak, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Julia Whelan won Best Fiction Narrator for Kristin Hannah’s The Women and Justin Vivian Bond's narration of Cynthia Carr’s Candy Darling won Best Non-Fiction Narrator.
    Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The Oklahoma City Thunder clinched a spot in the NBA Playoffs after beating the Boston Celtics 118-112 Wednesday in a thrilling game defined by physicality and Boston’s unrelenting dedication to shooting the 3, setting a franchise record with 63 attempts.
    Jay King, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Beyond fraud detection, ML algorithms can also be used to interpret unstructured data such as medical records, lab reports, invoices and insurance documents.
    Rajiv Kumaresan, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Narrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrative. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on narrative

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!