episode

play

noun ep·i·sode \ˈe-pə-ˌsōd also -ˌzōd\

Definition of episode

1 : a usually brief unit of action in a dramatic or literary work: such asa : the part of an ancient Greek tragedy between two choric songsb : a developed situation that is integral to but separable from a continuous narrative : incidentc : one of a series of loosely connected stories or scenesd : the part of a serial presented at one performance
2 : an event that is distinctive and separate although part of a larger series
3 : a digressive subdivision in a musical composition

See episode defined for English-language learners

See episode defined for kids

Examples of episode in a Sentence

It was a brief romantic episode in a life devoted to work.
He tried to forget the whole embarrassing episode.
a painful episode from my childhood
Millions of people are expected to watch the show's final episode.

Recent Examples of episode from the Web

While three- and four-panel episodes worked well on a day-by-day basis, when presented back-to-back in a single volume, the storytelling slowed to a crawl.

— peter rowe, sandiegouniontribune.com, "A century of comic book titans: Comic-Con honors Jack Kirby and Will Eisner," 15 July 2017
With super-sized episodes this season, as well as rumor of feature-length installments for Season 8, there’s plenty of time for everything to go wrong for the Starks—and for Littlefinger to wind up back on top.

— vanityfair.com, "Is Aidan Gillen the Most Misunderstood Man in Westeros?," 14 July 2017
HBO is the launch sponsor for Tuesday's episode, which will feature rapper 2 Chainz.

— christina coleman, Essence.com, "It's Here! 'ESSENCE Now' Talk Show Will Debut On Twitter Today," 11 July 2017
The final 13 episodes of GoT will be divided into two mini-seasons, the first seven beginning July 16, the final six in 2018.

— tufayel ahmed, MSNBC Newsweek, "'Game of Thrones': What's Next for Westeros, Gwendoline Christie and Her Empowering Brienne of Tarth," 10 July 2017
Throughout the last nine episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return, David Lynch has consistently redefined our expectations of television.

— matt miller, Esquire, "That Blog From Twin Peaks Is Real and Could Contain a Major Secret," 10 July 2017
Catch more than 150 shorts, features, documentaries, and TV episodes in venues like REDCAT and the Orpheum.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "The 5 Best Things to Do in L.A. This Weekend," 7 July 2017
Medications can be helpful in this detoxification stage, easing craving and other physical symptoms that can often trigger a relapse episode.

— elana gordon, Kaiser Health News, "Do-It-Yourself Detox Can Be ‘Freddy Krueger’ Scary — And Usually Fails," 7 July 2017
The bank, naturally, hopes to put that grim episode behind it.

— The Economist, "A long reckoningBNP Paribas faces accusations over the Rwandan genocide," 5 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of episode

Greek epeisodion, from neuter of epeisodios coming in besides, from epi- + eisodios coming in, from eis into (akin to Greek en in) + hodos road, journey — more at in

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1678

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of episode

occurrence, event, incident, episode, circumstance mean something that happens or takes place. occurrence may apply to a happening without intent, volition, or plan. an encounter that was a chance occurrence event usually implies an occurrence of some importance and frequently one having antecedent cause. the events following the assassination incident suggests an occurrence of brief duration or secondary importance. a minor wartime incident episode stresses the distinctiveness or apartness of an incident. a brief romantic episode in a life devoted to work circumstance implies a specific detail attending an action or event as part of its setting or background. couldn't recall the exact circumstances

Other Performing Arts Terms

diva, dramaturgy, loge, prestidigitation, proscenium, supernumerary, zany

EPISODE Defined for English Language Learners

episode

play

noun

Definition of episode for English Language Learners

: an event or a short period of time that is important or unusual
: a television show, radio show, etc., that is one part of a series
: an occurrence of an illness

EPISODE Defined for Kids

episode

play

noun ep·i·sode \ˈe-pə-ˌsōd\

Definition of episode for Students

1 : an event or one of a series of events that stands out clearly I'm trying to forget the whole embarrassing episode.
2 : one in a series of connected stories or performances

Medical Dictionary

episode

play play

noun ep·i·sode \ˈep-ə-ˌsōd also -ˌzōd\

Medical Definition of episode

: an event that is distinctive and separate although part of a larger series; especially : an occurrence of a usually recurrent pathological abnormal condition a manic episode hypoglycemic episodes