anecdote

play

noun an·ec·dote \ˈa-nik-ˌdōt\

Definition of anecdote

plural

anecdotes

also

anecdota

play \ˌa-nik-ˈdō-tə\

: a usually short narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident

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Examples of anecdote in a Sentence

Like many Jesuits who then ate most of their meals in refectories, McKenzie was a master raconteur with endless anecdotes, stories, and one-liners. —Margaret O'Brien Steinfels, Commonweal, 11 Sept. 2009
If Antony had won, of course, the story would have been very different. Indeed, despite the dominance of the Augustan version of events, a few hostile anecdotes about the young Octavian probably offer a glimpse of what Antony's side was saying. —Mary Beard, New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2009
Alexander's use of the family's private papers—the Waughs were prolific writers of letters and diaries as well as books—not only adds richly to the entertainment value of his account but also serves to illuminate just how tangled are the threads of filial love, hurt, awe, and competitiveness that run through their work. Although he ranges freely over two centuries of family anecdotes, amusing and appalling by turn, the dominant figure here is, as it should be, Evelyn. —Evelyn Toynton, Harper's, August 2007
Any competent science reporter knows anecdotes are not data and that one dramatic story proves nothing. —Editor & Publisher, 4 Nov. 2002
Deeply convinced of her own unattractiveness, frequently lonely and unimaginably needy, Joplin was a person who lived all over the page. It is impossible to read about her and not crave more anecdotes and personal details of such a wanton, tragic life. —Kim France, New York Times Book Review, 2 May 1999
He told us all sorts of humorous anecdotes about his childhood.
told us once again that anecdote about the dog and the bike

Recent Examples of anecdote from the Web

One anecdote that was really startling was hearing from one country—

— National Geographic, "How Tiny Planes Could Revolutionize Health Care," 7 July 2017
What's happening with the idea that there's widespread voter fraud appears to be analysis by anecdote.

— chris cillizza, CNN, "Here's the real problem with Kris Kobach's voter fraud commission," 5 July 2017
A drunken stupor isn’t exactly an option here; luckily, Louis-Dreyfus is smart enough to turn even feeble straight lines into funny anecdotes.

— chris smith, Daily Intelligencer, "Single (Not that there’s anything wrong with that!)," 30 June 2017
The special comprises eight weekly episodes where the Guatemalan singer and songwriter opens up about the processes, history and anecdotes relating to his latest album, Circo Soledad.

— suzette fernandez, Billboard, "Ricardo Arjona Launches 'A Solas con el Circo Soledad' Docu-Series on YouTube," 30 June 2017
Over the years, many sites have aimed to answer that question with multiple-choice quizzes drawn from anecdotes in the seven books.

— chris wilson, Time, "The Ultimate Harry Potter Quiz: Find Out Which House You Truly Belong In," 26 June 2017
This included not just a lengthy list of Solange’s positive attributes but also an entertaining anecdote about Solange from the sixth grade, as well as an older video of herself and Bey lifting up Solange backstage on Saturday Night Live.

— jenni miller, The Cut, "Tina Knowles Lawson Posted a Lengthy Birthday Message for Solange on Instagram," 25 June 2017
Anecdotes told of former workers living with relatives in exchange for running errands.

— john gallagher, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan's 4.2% jobless rate still isn't enough to declare victory in economy," 22 June 2017
The publication also features stories about family, travel, and personal anecdotes from the Pioneer Woman herself.

— kelly o'sullivan, Country Living, "The First Issue of Ree Drummond's New Magazine Almost Sold Out in One Week," 21 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anecdote.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Trace anecdote Back To a Greek Slambook

The Byzantine official Procopius wrote three historical works in Greek. In the first two, he dealt with wars and public works projects, but the third was something of a departure from this kind of history. Referred to as "Anekdota," from the Greek a- meaning "not," and ekdidonai, meaning "to publish," it contained bitter attacks on the emperor Justinian, his wife, and other notables of contemporary Constantinople. Understandably, it was not published until after its writer's death. English speakers originally used an anglicized version of the book's name for similar secret or unpublished histories or biographies, and by the 17th century, the meaning of "anecdote" had been broadened to cover any interesting or amusing personal tale.

Origin and Etymology of anecdote

French, from Greek anekdota unpublished items, from neuter plural of anekdotos unpublished, from a- + ekdidonai to publish, from ex out + didonai to give — more at ex-, date

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First Known Use: circa 1721

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