epilogue
epilogue Lexical Profile
epilogue Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A concluding section or chapter at the end of a literary work, film, or television series that serves to comment on or complete the story by revealing the later fates of the characters.
"In the novel's epilogue, the author jumps ahead twenty years to show how the protagonists rebuilt their lives."
A short speech or poem addressed directly to the audience by an actor at the end of a play.
"At the close of Shakespeare's play, Puck steps forward alone on stage to deliver the final epilogue to the audience."
Word Nuance & Usage
An epilogue is part of the narrative story itself, explaining what happens to the characters after the main plot ends, whereas an afterword is a non-fictional comment by the author about how or why the book was written.
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French 'epilogue', from Latin 'epilogus', and ultimately from Ancient Greek 'epilogos' (a conclusion or peroration of a speech), formed from 'epi-' (in addition) and 'legein' (to speak).