chronicle

1 of 3

noun (1)

chron·​i·​cle ˈkrä-ni-kəl 

1

: a historical account of events arranged in order of time usually without analysis or interpretation

a chronicle of the Civil War

2

: narrative sense 1

a chronicle of the struggle against drug traffickers

chronicle

2 of 3

verb

chronicled; chronicling ˈkrä-ni-k(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

: to present a record of in or as if in a chronicle

chronicle Victorian society

chronicle the doings of the rich and famous

chronicler

ˈkrä-ni-k(ə-)lər 

noun

chronicler

3 of 3

noun (2)

chron·​i·​cler ˈkrä-ni-k(ə-)lər 

plural -s

: a writer or compiler of a chronicle

a historian without philosophy is but a chronicler

—John Mason Brown

disillusioned chronicler of social disintegration

—Carlos Baker

successful chronicler of the upper middle class

—Taliaferro Boatwright

Synonyms of chronicle

Noun (1)

• chronology
• commentary
• story
• history
• report
• account
• record
• narrative

Verb

• describe
• tell
• recount
• narrate
• relate
• report

Examples of chronicle in a Sentence

Noun (1)

a chronicle of the American Civil War

a chronicle of the President's years in office

Verb

The book chronicles the events that led to the American Civil War.

She intends to chronicle the broad social changes that have occurred in this part of the country.

a magazine that chronicles the lives of the rich and famous

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Juan Angel, who went on to build a successful landscaping business, struggled with alcoholism, which Rivera chronicles in this narrative that does not shy away from the role addiction played in the life and death of his role model. — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026

Julia Loktev’s continuing chronicle of a group of independent Russian journalists working for the now-rogue news channel TV Rain closes an important emotional loop with its second part, which is even longer than the five-plus-hour first part. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2026

Verb

Royal expert Ingrid Seward, who knew Diana and whose latest book, Catherine and Diana, chronicles the lives of the Princesses of Wales, believes the battle to control Diana’s legacy will continue beyond next year’s milestone anniversary. — Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026

Bluntly has been chronicling her divorce, from the tradwife brand and her husband. — Christina Wyman, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English cronycle, borrowed from Anglo-French cronike, cronicle (-le perhaps by assimilation to words with the suffix -icle, as article article entry 1), borrowed from Latin chronica "book of annals," borrowed from Greek (tà) chroniká, (hai) chronikaí, from plural of chronikós "of time, temporal, in order by time" (with a noun such as biblía "books" or graphaí "writings" understood) — more at chronic

Verb

Middle English cronyclen, verbal derivative of cronycle chronicle entry 1

Noun (2)

Middle English cronicler, from croniclen + -er

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing chronicle

• chronicle play

Rhymes for chronicle

• canonical
• ironical
• conical
• monocle

Kids Definition

chronicle

1 of 2 noun

chron·​i·​cle ˈkrän-i-kəl 

: an account of events in the order of their happening : history

chronicle

2 of 2 verb

chronicled; chronicling -k(ə-)liŋ 

: to present a record of in or as if in a chronicle

chronicle the major events of last year

chronicler

-k(ə-)lər 

noun

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cronicle "chronicle," from early French chronique (same meaning), derived from Greek chronikos, "of time," from chronos "time" — related to anachronism, chronic, synchronous