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
Fate loves irony though, as the tycoon likes to say, because the wheels are also coming off his own equity story. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2024 This story was originally published March 22, 2024, 12:38 PM. Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee, 23 Mar. 2024 This story was originally published March 22, 2024, 6:21 PM. Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2024 This story was originally published March 22, 2024, 7:52 PM. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2024 The jaw-dropping story of what those hostages endured is told from the point-of-view of one of the great foreign correspondents of the period, John B. Powell, a rugged, Hemingway-esque adventurer who happened to be aboard the train when it was attacked. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Mar. 2024 This story was originally published March 22, 2024, 6:11 PM. Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 23 Mar. 2024 This is a story about one of modern life’s least consequential but most acutely annoying experiences: getting a sufficient number of capers out of those dollhouse-size jars they’re sold in. Allison Morrow, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024 But its story of celebration is followed by another, darker chapter — one many Jews are thinking about this year. Deena Prichep, NPR, 23 Mar. 2024
Verb
On the heels of Sinéad O’Connor’s recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination, SPIN Executive Editor Liza Lentini spoke extensively about O’Connor’s long and storied career in music and activism on Rock in Retrospect podcast, hosted by Nick Bambach. Spin Staff, SPIN, 23 Feb. 2024 The Keswick family of storied Jardine Matheson Holdings, one of Hong Kong’s oldest business empires, enters the ranks following the restructuring of the group’s complex cross-holdings. Jane Ho, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 That storied athletic lineage was evident in the tailback’s days at Valor Christian — and even years before that. Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2024 Dragons are also storied to be powerful and to symbolize strength. Kurt Snibbe, Orange County Register, 8 Feb. 2024 The letter notes that Israel has a long and storied Eurovision history — including hosting in 1979, 1999 and 2019 and winning in 1978, 1979, 1998 and 2018 — while offering up a diverse group of contestants representing the Palestinian, Ethiopian and LGBTQIA+ communities. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 14 Feb. 2024 Tales of conquering heroes and seafaring legends are reflected through its richly tiled artworks, storied architectural elements, and the Roman and Moorish ruins that lie scattered throughout its bucolic countryside. Christine Chitnis, Vogue, 6 Feb. 2024 Starr is currently the only woman signed to Mavin Records, her storied Nigerian label. Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2024 Listed for just shy of $22 million, the oceanfront mansion is in Windsor, a private and storied New Urbanist community with a golf course, polo field, and tennis center. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 29 Jan. 2024

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 28 Mar. 2024.

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

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