Definition of narrative
1 : something that is narrated : story, account He is writing a detailed narrative of his life on the island.
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
narrative
adjectivenarratively
adverbExplore M-W
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
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The army has not taken action against the militants named in the Dawn leaks but has come up with a counter-narrative, suggesting the breach proves that civilians cannot be trusted with state secrets.
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The information released Tuesday is the first narrative released by the BCA since Saturday night's shooting.
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The presence of Mr. Akhmetshin adds another development to the evolving narrative about the gathering, which Donald Trump Jr. arranged after learning that a Russian lawyer claimed to have damaging information about Hillary Clinton.
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What became known as The Downtowner opened first in 1954 as Nolan's Cocktail Lounge, then three years later into Sam Meyer's Downtowner and in 1969 simply The Downtowner, according to Fosl's narrative.
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Yet the CBO's work has become central in the debate over repealing and replacing Obamacare as both Democrats and Republicans seek for its projections to support their own health-care narrative.
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The pigs are raised in arable bliss by doting artisanal farmers (a marketing narrative orchestrated to sell consumers on the Frankenswine).
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Unfortunately, by 11th grade a compelling narrative is what attracts an admissions officer’s attention.
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Faisal was referring not to excellence in scholarship or character but to the skill of self-narrative.
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.
First Known Use of narrative
1567
Other Literature Terms
NARRATIVE Defined for English Language Learners
narrative
playDefinition of narrative for English Language Learners
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: a story that is told or written
NARRATIVE Defined for Kids
Definition of narrative for Students
: something (as a story) that is told in full detail
Definition of narrative for Students
: having the form of a story a narrative poem
Learn More about narrative
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for narrative Spanish Central: Translation of narrative Nglish: Translation of narrative for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of narrative for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about narrative
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