fable

noun fa·ble \ ˈfā-bəl \

|Updated on: 6 Jul 2018

Examples: fable in a Sentence

Definition of fable

: a fictitious narrative or statement: such as

a : a legendary story of supernatural happenings

Minerva is in fables said, from Jove without a mother to proceed
—Sir John Davies

b : a narration intended to enforce a useful truth; especially : one in which animals speak and act like human beings

The theme of the fable was the folly of human vanity.

c : falsehood, lie

The story that he won the battle single-handedly is a mere fable.

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Examples of fable in a Sentence

a fable about busy ants
The story that he won the battle single-handedly is a mere fable.
He combines fact and fable to make a more interesting story.

Recent Examples of fable from the Web

In other hands the film might have been a smug fable of virtuous hippies—not just tree-huggers but tree-dwellers—versus straight, rigid society.

— joe morgenstern, WSJ, "‘Leave No Trace’ Review: Love Under Siege," 28 June 2018
The Fantasticks Cinnabar Theater closes its 45th season with the Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt musical telling a timeless fable of love that manages to be funny and romantic, nostalgic and universal.

— SFChronicle.com, "Theater capsule reviews and listings, week of June 24," 22 June 2018
The Fantasticks Cinnabar Theater closes its 45th season with the Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt musical telling a timeless fable of love that manages to be funny and romantic, nostalgic and universal.

— chronicle staff report, San Francisco Chronicle, "Theater capsule reviews and listings, week of June 17," 14 June 2018
But as his story spun into fable, his fame and draft stock ballooned, and so did the pressure.

— greg bishop, SI.com, "Why Jake Locker Walked Away From Football—and Why He Doesn’t Miss It," 18 Apr. 2018
The original had been a pastoral and sweet telling of a fable set in the French Antilles of Ti Moune, a poor young orphan who tragically falls in love with a rich aristocrat of a lighter skin color.

— patrick pacheco, latimes.com, "Michael Arden, making waves with the little musical that could, 'Once on This Island'," 7 June 2018
Normally such a player would only be interviewed by journalists from his country -- if that -- but such was the interest in his fable that he was brought to the main interview room at Roland Garros.

— ravi ubha, CNN, "French Open: Lucky loser Marco Trungelliti hits jackpot after marathon journey," 28 May 2018
But as the truth of what brought Takeru to the humble seaside village is slowly disclosed, those nagging bits vanish to reveal a mesmeric fusion of fable, ghost story and haunting depiction of family trauma.

— alexis burling, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘Lion Cross Point,’ by Masatsugu Ono," 27 Apr. 2018
Production features a re-enactment of fables from children's folklorist and Ohio native Virginia Hamilton.

— mark rapp, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Arts listings for April 27-May 3: Cleveland Orchestra presents Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde" & More," 26 Apr. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of fable

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Latin fābula "talk, gossip, account, tale, legend," from fā-, stem of for, fārī "to speak, say" + -bula, feminine derivative of -bulum, instrumental suffix (going back to Indo-European *-dhlom) — more at ¹ban

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

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fable Synonyms

fable

verb

Definition of fable

fabled; fabling play \ˈfā-b(ə-)liŋ\

intransitive verb

archaic : to tell fables

transitive verb

: to talk or write about as if true

—

fabler

play \ˈfā-b(ə-)lər\ noun

Origin and Etymology of fable

Middle English fablen, borrowed from Anglo-French fabler, fableier, going back to Latin fābulārī "to talk, converse, invent a story," verbal derivative of fābula "talk, account, ¹fable"

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year