short story

noun

: an invented prose narrative shorter than a novel usually dealing with a few characters and aiming at unity of effect and often concentrating on the creation of mood rather than plot

Examples of short story in a Sentence

her very first short story was accepted for publication in a local journal
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.
Seong Haena, Honmono Everyone is reading this short story collection in Korea. Diana Arterian october 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025 Written over the course of a year and a half and recorded in Los Angeles between cups of tea and views of the mountains, Lu compares the project to a short story collection, each song melding into its own theme. John Lonsdale, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025 In the grand tradition of other kid-friendly cartoons, each episode contains two short stories. Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025 At times the novel felt more like a collection of short stories than one cohesive narrative — until the second half of the book, when two events, one celebratory and one heartbreaking, bring the group together. Zoë Jackson, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for short story

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of short story was in 1861

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Short story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20story. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

short story

noun
: a short work of fiction usually dealing with a few characters and a single event

More from Merriam-Webster on short story

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