fable

1 of 2

noun

fa·​ble ˈfā-bəl 

: 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.

fable

2 of 2

verb

fabled; fabling ˈfā-b(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

archaic : to tell fables

transitive verb

: to talk or write about as if true

fabler

ˈfā-b(ə-)lər 

noun

Synonyms

Noun

• allegory
• parable
• tale
• apologue

Examples of fable in a Sentence

Noun

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 on the Web

Noun

After outlining that corrupt deal, Du Bois dissects how scholarship sympathetic to the northern interests then rewrote Reconstruction’s history, turning the period into a fable of failure while caricaturing Black political leadership and widespread democratic participation. —Zephyr Teachout, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025

The Faustian football fable, directed by Justin Tipping and produced by Jordan Peele’s banner Monkeypaw Productions, is now projecting a $15 million opening weekend. —J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 20 Sep. 2025

Verb

Widespread grief leads to new laws The catastrophic flooding that engulfed parts of Camp Mystic killed at least 136 people across Texas’ fabled Hill Country. —Holly Yan, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025

The leader of that rebellion, Pushpa Kamal Dahal—reverentially addressed by his comrades as Prachanda, or the Fiery One—was for years a mysterious figure, fabled for his victories against government forces, but essentially unknown. —Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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 *-d^hlom) — more at ban entry 1

Verb

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, fable entry 1"

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing fable

• beast fable

Rhymes for fable

• able
• chaebol
• label
• sable
• stabile
• stable
• table
• allocable
• educable
• integrable
• purchasable
• thermostable

Kids Definition

fable

noun

fa·​ble

ˈfā-bəl

: a short fictitious story

especially : one intended to teach a lesson and in which animals speak and act like human beings