narrative

noun nar·ra·tive \ ˈner-ə-tiv , ˈna-rə- \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Definition of narrative

1 a : something that is narrated : story, account

He is writing a detailed narrative of his life on the island.

b : a way of presenting or understanding a situation or series of events that reflects and promotes a particular point of view or set of values

The rise of the Tea Party and the weakness of the Obama economy have fueled a Republican narrative about Big Government as a threat to liberty …
—Michael Grunwald

The media narrative around Kelly's appointment had two central ideas … : He would calm and professionalize the White House, and he would provide a more measured leadership style than his boss.
—Perry Bacon Jr.

2 : the art or practice of narration

… depended not on narrative but on intensity derived from the verity to make the book jump.
—Stanley Kauffmann

3 : the representation in art of an event or story; also : an example of such a representation

the narrative of St. Joan of Arc

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narratively

adverb

See narrative defined for English-language learners

See narrative defined for kids

Examples of narrative in a Sentence

He is writing a detailed narrative of his life on the island.
People have questioned the accuracy of his narrative.

Recent Examples of narrative from the Web

But the thing is, dragons and direwolves are just as important to this narrative as Cersei’s scheming.

— refinery29.com, "HBO Is Making A Game of Thrones Spinoff & We’ve Got Some Ideas," 9 June 2018
With so many players and variables, the game delights in smashing preconceived narratives.

— tyler kepner, New York Times, "What the Mets Need Now: Some Yankees-Style Boldness," 8 June 2018
But once the Stanley Cup Final began, the narrative shifted toward Ovechkin and the Capitals, who ended the league's second-longest championship drought by winning its first Stanley Cup in its 44th season.

— jill martin, CNN, "Stanley Cup: Alex Ovechkin, Washington end title drought," 8 June 2018
What unfolded afterwards is a testament to the infinite complexity of human existence in a justice system (and media climate) that prefers the simplicity of neat narratives and black-and-white guilt.

— sonia saraiya, HWD, "Review: Whether Old or New, The Staircase Offers No Easy Answers," 8 June 2018
Failing grades also reinforce the narrative that public schools are not meeting their students’ needs, which provides fuel to the school choice movement that seeks to expand alternatives to traditional public school districts.

— valerie strauss, Washington Post, "N.C. teacher: Test score says the year was a dismal failure for my student — but it really was ‘a resounding success’," 8 June 2018
There are times when the narrative stalls a bit, turning visually static rather than effectively claustrophobic.

— michael phillips, chicagotribune.com, "'Hotel Artemis': Sterling K. Brown checks into Criminal Hospital, and Jodie Foster's on duty," 7 June 2018
The question of which team will win is long gone, but as far as narratives go, the length of this series is significant.

— aj neuharth-keusch, USA TODAY, "Do Warriors care if they sweep LeBron James, Cavaliers?," 7 June 2018
The photos also reveal his early passion for narrative, says Taschen editor Reuel Golden.

— WSJ, "Lens Wide Open: Photos by Stanley Kubrick," 7 June 2018

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