narrative

1 of 2

noun

nar·​ra·​tive ˈner-ə-tiv How to pronounce narrative (audio)
ˈna-rə-
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
narratively adverb

narrative

2 of 2

adjective

1
: having the form of a story or representing a story
a narrative poem
narrative paintings
2
: of or relating to the process of telling a story
the author's narrative style
the novel's narrative structure

Examples of narrative in a Sentence

Noun He is writing a detailed narrative of his life on the island. People have questioned the accuracy of his narrative.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Netflix has been pushing its own games business lately, focusing on games based on mainstream IP, party games, narrative games and kids games. Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2025 So that was probably reflected more in the narrative. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 20 May 2025
Adjective
Really, this is the source of the film’s inner anguish, captured in narrative form. Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 17 May 2025 And the narrative power of this season, the thing that keeps you reading, is the lure of finding out which one of them is true. Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 10 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for narrative

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of narrative was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Narrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narrative. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

narrative

noun
nar·​ra·​tive ˈnar-ət-iv How to pronounce narrative (audio)
1
: something (as a story) that is told or written
2
: the art or practice of telling stories
narrative adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on narrative

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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