epilogue

noun

ep·​i·​logue ˈe-pə-ˌlȯg How to pronounce epilogue (audio)
-ˌläg
variants or less commonly epilog
1
: a concluding section that rounds out the design of a literary work
2
a
: a speech often in verse addressed to the audience by an actor at the end of a play
also : the actor speaking such an epilogue
b
: the final scene of a play that comments on or summarizes the main action
3
: the concluding section of a musical composition : coda

Did you know?

From its Greek roots, epilogue means basically "words attached (at the end)". An epilogue often somehow wraps up a story's action, as in the one for a famous Shakespeare play that ends, "For never was a story of more woe / Than this of Juliet and her Romeo". In nonfiction books, we now often use the term afterword instead of epilogue, just as we now generally use foreword instead of prologue. Movies also often have a kind of epilogue--maybe a scene after the exciting climax when the surviving lovers meet in a café to talk about their future. The epilogue of a musical composition, after all the drama is over, is called the coda (Italian for "tail").

Examples of epilogue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The end credits also provide an epilogue that explains what happened to the Warrens after the events of The Conjuring: Last Rites and what became of the Smurl family. Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 5 Sep. 2025 Jakob describes the album, which is due out later this year, as an epilogue for a band who never got to say a proper goodbye. Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025 They even get married in the epilogue. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025 The epilogue reveals that Conrad has waited two years before sending Belly a handwritten letter. Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for epilogue

Word History

Etymology

Middle English epiloge, from Middle French epilogue, from Latin epilogus, from Greek epilogos, from epilegein to say in addition, from epi- + legein to say — more at legend

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of epilogue was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Epilogue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epilogue. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

epilogue

noun
ep·​i·​logue
variants also epilog
1
: a final section that brings to an end and summarizes or comments on the action or characters of a story
2
: a speech often in verse addressed to the audience by an actor at the end of a play
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!