story

1 of 3

noun (1)

sto·​ry ˈstȯr-ē How to pronounce story (audio)
plural stories
1
a
: an account of incidents or events
b
: a statement regarding the facts pertinent to a situation in question
c
: anecdote
especially : an amusing one
2
a
: a fictional narrative shorter than a novel
specifically : short story
b
: the intrigue or plot of a narrative or dramatic work
3
: a widely circulated rumor
4
5
6
: a news article or broadcast
7
8
storylike adjective
or story-like
storylike narratives

story

2 of 3

verb

storied; storying

transitive verb

1
: to adorn with a story or a scene from history
2
archaic : to narrate or describe in story

story

3 of 3

noun (2)

variants or less commonly storey
plural stories also storeys
1
a
: the space in a building between two adjacent floor levels or between a floor and the roof
b
: a set of rooms in such a space
c
: a unit of measure equal to the height of the story of a building
one story high
2
: a horizontal division of a building's exterior not necessarily corresponding exactly with the stories within

Examples of story in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Meet the Kids of *NSYNC's Bandmates Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023 Yael Friedman, a Galia Lahav spokeswoman, said in an email that Osterhoudt’s story galvanized the designer to start an initiative that will have her dresses popping up in thrift stores all over the United States. Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2023 That story has played out again and again in the evolution of residuals. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 21 Sep. 2023 This story will appear in the Sept. 23, 2023, issue of Billboard. Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 21 Sep. 2023 Sipowicz actually began the series as a supporting player in John Kelly’s story — the fat, bigoted, alcoholic disaster whom the more traditionally heroic Kelly had to save. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2023 Enjoy a year of unlimited access to The Atlantic—including every story on our site and app, subscriber newsletters, and more. Yael Grauer, The Atlantic, 21 Sep. 2023 And Vivek Ramaswamy shares his family’s citizenship story — with one more important reveal. Mark Murray, NBC News, 21 Sep. 2023 This coffee subscription delivers 6-12 ounces of freshly roasted coffee, a postcard with flavor notes, and a story on the coffee’s history right to her doorstep. Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2023
Verb
In fact, a quick look back shows that baked goods have a long and storied history as a rebellious tool worldwide. Shelly Tan, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023 Volleyball's Success Nebraska volleyball has built a legacy as storied as the Cornhusker football team, winning five national championships, the most recent in 2017. Kolbe Nelson, CBS News, 30 Aug. 2023 Fifty-seven Whitehall in London’s Westminster has had a long and storied history: Once the palace of the Tudors and the Stuarts, its time as a royal residence came to an abrupt end in 1698 when a servant set the building alight by hanging linens too close to the fire. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 18 Aug. 2023 In his daily Pump Club newsletter, bodybuilding legend and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger has been sharing anecdotes from his long and storied career, including tips on how to build good habits, get fitter, and pursue your goals. Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 7 Aug. 2023 This storied 429-acre property was inducted into the Historic Hotels of America last spring. Pamela Wright, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Aug. 2023 More than 270 structures have been impacted in Lahaina, county officials added, many of them near one of the largest and most storied banyan trees in the United States. Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN, 10 Aug. 2023 One of the Massachusetts peninsula’s most storied grande dames is the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club, dating back to 1925 and presiding over Harwich’s Round Cove. Jillian Dara, Robb Report, 10 Aug. 2023 For a film as storied as the original The Killer, what’s Woo’s motivation behind revisiting it? Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'story.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English storie, from Anglo-French estoire, estorie, from Latin historia — more at history

Noun (2)

Middle English storie, from Medieval Latin historia narrative, illustration, story of a building, from Latin, history, tale; probably from narrative friezes on the window level of medieval buildings

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 8a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of story was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near story

Cite this Entry

“Story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/story. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

story

1 of 2 noun
sto·​ry ˈstōr-ē How to pronounce story (audio)
ˈstȯr-
plural stories
1
a
: an account of incidents or events
b
2
a
: a fictional tale shorter than a novel
especially : short story
b
: the main tale of a written work
3
: a widely told rumor
4
5
: a news article or broadcast

story

2 of 2 noun
variants also storey
ˈstōr-ē,
ˈstȯr-
plural stories also storeys
: a set of rooms or an area making up one floor level of a building
Etymology

Noun

Middle English storie "tale," from early French estoire, estorie (same meaning), from Latin historia "tale, history"

Noun

Middle English storie, from Latin historia "tale, illustration, story of a building," from earlier Latin, "tale, history"; probably so called from the use of narrative paintings on the window levels of medieval buildings

Biographical Definition

Story 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Sto·​ry ˈstȯr-ē How to pronounce Story (audio)
Joseph 1779–1845 American jurist

Story

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

William Wetmore 1819–1895 son of Joseph Story American sculptor

More from Merriam-Webster on 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!