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.
Customers are invited to submit their meaningful, personal objects purchased at Le Bon Marché by sending a photo, dimensions and a short story about the significance of the object. Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025 And in short stories and doorstops, her attention is ruthless and unflinching. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025 Based on a short story by Wendy Erskine, Nostalgie was written by Stacey Gregg and produced by Stille Productions and Tara Films Production, in association with Globe Originals and Hopefield. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025 Bentley read the short story when it was published in book form in 2014. Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 14 Oct. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Short story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20story. Accessed 22 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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