parable

par·a·ble

noun \ˈpa-rə-bəl\

Definition of PARABLE

: example; specifically : a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle

Examples of PARABLE

1. He told the children a parable about the importance of forgiveness.
2. the parable of the Good Samaritan

Origin of PARABLE

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin parabola, from Greek parabolē comparison, from paraballein to compare, from para- + ballein to throw — more at devil

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to PARABLE

Synonyms: apologue, fable, allegory

Related Words: beast fable, bestiary; morality play; legend, myth, mythology, narrative, tale

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Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

Rhymes with PARABLE

arable, spareable, wearable