narrate

verb

nar·​rate ˈner-ˌāt 

ˈna-ˌrat,

na-ˈrāt 

narrated; narrating

transitive verb

: to tell (a story) in detail

The children enjoyed the lively manner with which she narrated her life's story.

also : to provide spoken commentary for (something, such as a movie or television show)

The documentary is narrated by a famous actor.

narrator

ˈner-ˌā-tər 

ˈna-ˌrā-

na-ˈrā-

nə-;

ˈner-ə-

ˈna-rə-

noun

Synonyms

• chart
• chronicle
• describe
• recite
• recount
• rehearse
• relate
• report
• tell

Examples of narrate in a Sentence

The author narrates her story in great detail.

a documentary narrated by a famous actor

Recent Examples on the Web

Over a set of Madonna’s crunchy house pianos and a blistering beat, Minogue narrates the story of a party gone right, as the pair dive deeper into the evening with this excellent new single. —Stephen Daw, Billboard, 16 Aug. 2024

Herzog narrates all this with his signature German gravitas, as well as his Catholic flair for martyrdom and his Barnum-esque gift for showmanship. —Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024

The global superstar narrates a video honoring three of the 2024 Paris Olympics' biggest stars: gymnast Simone Biles, swimmer Katie Ledecky, and sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2024

For example, Genesis narrates the stories of Jacob and Esau while Deuteronomy involves their descendants – the nations of Israel and Edom. —Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin narratus, past participle of narrare, from Latin gnarus knowing; akin to Latin gnoscere, noscere to know — more at know

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

narrate

verb

nar·​rate ˈna(ə)r-ˌāt  na-ˈrāt 

narrated; narrating

: relate sense 1, tell

narrate a story

narrator

ˈna(ə)r-ˌāt-ər 

na-ˈrāt-

nə-;

ˈnar-ət-

noun