✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

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.
Laila Stien, a Norwegian novelist, poet, and translator, has published several collections of short stories and poetry. Laila Stien, The Dial, 27 Nov. 2025 His short stories are confessional; so are many of his plays, and certainly several of the screenplays. Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 26 Nov. 2025 And what a joy that all of this was over a short story! Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Nov. 2025 Amusingly, many believe the monster first manifested in a short story printed 13 years before IT. Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Nov. 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 29 Nov. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!