story
story Lexical Profile
story Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment, instruction, or preservation of cultural history.
"Her grandmother told a fascinating story about growing up near the coast."
A report or article in a newspaper, magazine, or broadcast about a particular news event or topic.
"The local newspaper published a front-page story on the city council's budget decision."
The main plot or sequence of events in a novel, play, movie, or other narrative work.
"The cinematography was impressive, though the underlying story felt somewhat predictable."
American A complete horizontal division or floor of a building, comprising a set of rooms on the same level.
"The library occupies the first three stories of the newly renovated campus building."
A false statement, excuse, or fabricated explanation told to deceive someone or avoid blame (used especially in informal contexts).
"The suspect kept changing his story when questioned about his whereabouts that evening."
• verb
To decorate or paint with historical, legendary, or narrative scenes (used chiefly in the past participle 'storied').
"Sunlight filtered through the cathedral's richly storied stained-glass windows."
To relate or celebrate in a history or narrative (now chiefly literary or archaic except in the participial adjective 'storied').
"Ancient chroniclers storied the deeds of the early monarchs across dozens of scrolls."
Word Nuance & Usage
In British and Commonwealth English, the architectural sense (a floor or level of a building) is spelled 'storey' (plural 'storeys'), whereas in American English both the narrative and architectural meanings are spelled 'story' (plural 'stories').
• Rhymes for story
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Anglo-Norman 'estorie' and Old French 'estoire', from Latin 'historia' (history, account, tale), ultimately from Ancient Greek 'historia' (inquiry, knowledge acquired by investigation).