Definition of narrativenext
1
2
as in tale
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel in such narratives as "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Purloined Letter," Edgar Allan Poe essentially created the modern detective story

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of narrative In the end, these conversations, and his own meditations on identity and family, as well as his noted narrative omissions and motives in telling the story, become the main thrust of the podcast. — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026 For Crujeiras, that history complicates the familiar narrative of Miami’s recovery. — Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026 According to El Shenawy, the new film will retain elements of the original’s structure and narrative approach, while grounding its dialogue, conflicts and characters firmly in the present. — Essie Assibu, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026 The live performance by An Yu also lent the show a stronger narrative quality. — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for narrative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for narrative
Noun
  • The Same Curve, Every Time Skeptics have been telling this story for a hundred years.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • But all that warm, crowd-pleasing material is incongruously, fascinatingly, and not so comfortably fitted inside a story about great loss.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Wildwood is a dark tale, with whispers of a witch, set against the beautiful yet formidable backdrop of rural New England.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The tale is energized by the thoughtful performances of Hanns Zischler, as Mann, and Sandra Hüller, as the author’s daughter Erika, who accompanies him while reviving conflicts from her own past.
    — Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Continuing the chronology of Journe’s early years, is a prototype Octa Reserve de Marche, the third model introduced by the watchmaker.
    — Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The fire-scar chronology was the oldest ever recorded in eastern North America.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Based on his 1986 novella The Hellbound Heart, Barker wrote and directed the first Hellraiser movie the following year, introducing audiences to Pinhead (Doug Bradley) and his Cenobites.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Late Fame was adapted faithfully from the Austrian writer Arthur Schnitzler’s late nineteenth-century novella, itself a recent recovery, but the transposition to the present functions only up until this point.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Agents now match reconciliations, draft journal entries, suggest accrual estimates and write the variance commentary that goes to the audit committee.
    — Jacqueline DeStefano-Tangorra, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • All four movies exhibit Mackenzie’s knack for trenchant social and political commentary slightly heightened by his elegance as a dramatist and visceral genre filmmaker, and all are accompanied by illuminating supplements.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The latest public records trove from the federal government details spooky — yet, unverified — history of UFOs on Catalina?
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Here’s a closer look at where those marks rank in UM history.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Early accounts of grassroots democracy in India describe how higher-caste landowners controlled the votes of their lower-caste dependents, sometimes even marking ballots that the voters had to authenticate with their thumbprints.
    — Asim Ali, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
  • For example, someone could access your retirement account while your credit score remains unchanged.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The full report says 12% of the scams reported in the survey involved AI or a deepfake.
    — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Other big tech stocks likewise fell following quarterly reports that included at least some encouraging nuggets.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Narrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrative. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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