Story.
Synonyms:
| account, | legend, | narrative, | recital, | relation, |
| anecdote, | myth, | novel, | record, | tale. |
| incident, | narration, |
A story is the telling of some series of connected incidents or events, whether real or fictitious, in prose or verse, orally or in writing; or the series of incidents or events thus related may be termed a story. In children's talk, a story is a common euphemism for a falsehood. Tale is nearly synonymous with story, but is somewhat archaic; it is used for an imaginative, legendary, or fictitious recital, especially if of ancient date; as, a fairy tale; also, for an idle or malicious report; as, do not tell tales; "where there is no tale-bearer, the strife ceaseth." Prov. xxvi, 20. An anecdote tells briefly some incident, assumed to be fact. If it passes close limits of brevity, it ceases to be an anecdote, and becomes a narrative or narration. A traditional or mythical story of ancient times is a legend. A history is often somewhat poetically called a story; as, the story of the American civil war. Compare ALLEGORY; FICTION; HISTORY.
Antonyms:
annals, biography, chronicle, history, memoir.