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
chronicled; chronicling
ˈkrä-ni-k(ə-)liŋ
: to present a record of in or as if in a chronicle
chronicle Victorian society
chronicle the doings of the rich and famous
Synonyms of chronicle
Examples of chronicle in a Sentence
Noun
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
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 28 May 2026
The two-hour retrospective chronicles the British musician’s career from his early punk rock days in Generation X through his ‘80s MTV breakout and into his current role as a grandfather who also still regularly packs venues around the world.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 26 May 2026
Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
Written and directed by Zhao Badou and starring Sandra Ma and Edward Chen, the film chronicles two individuals whose chance encounter during a date turns into a series of unique urban interruptions over the course of a single night, and discover an unexpected romantic connection.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for chronicle
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Another season of MeatEater’s American History Podcast series launches this summer, featuring the chronicles of gunfighters in the American West, hosted by bestselling author Bryan Burrough, who is represented by the Wylie Agency working with CAA.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 28 May 2026
The two-hour retrospective chronicles the British musician’s career from his early punk rock days in Generation X through his ‘80s MTV breakout and into his current role as a grandfather who also still regularly packs venues around the world.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 26 May 2026
Verb
The documentary will chronicle Keys’ childhood in Hell’s Kitchen, and explore how her neighborhood catalyzed her career and the musical.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
Written and directed by Zhao Badou and starring Sandra Ma and Edward Chen, the film chronicles two individuals whose chance encounter during a date turns into a series of unique urban interruptions over the course of a single night, and discover an unexpected romantic connection.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for chronicle
Cite this Entry
“Chronicle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chronicle. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chronicle
1 of 2 noun
chron·i·cle
ˈkrän-i-kəl
: an account of events in the order of their happening : history
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
