as in allegory
a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life
the parable in which the repentant sinner is compared to the returning prodigal son who is welcomed home
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Recent Examples of parable
Some such principles can even be drawn from Christ’s own parables.
—
Alejandro Antonio Chafuen, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
The series of parables and contained narratives are also dotted with evidence of time travel.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 13 May 2025
Touching on horror, comedy, and of course sci-fi, the series also fills its near-future parables with A-list talent.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Sufi saints used stories, parables and allegories to teach spiritual truths.
—Sonya Rehman, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parable
Alejandro Antonio Chafuen, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
The series of parables and contained narratives are also dotted with evidence of time travel.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 13 May 2025
Touching on horror, comedy, and of course sci-fi, the series also fills its near-future parables with A-list talent.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Sufi saints used stories, parables and allegories to teach spiritual truths.
—Sonya Rehman, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parable
Noun
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On a personal level, Moving’s allegory of superpowers as disability—cemented by disabled superhero Lee Jae-man (Kim Sung-kyun)—is an overdue approach to the genre.—
Geoffrey Bunting,
Time,
1 Aug. 2025
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The film is an allegory of the gun crisis in the United States, following two Pittsburgh police partners and best friends who are called to an uneventful domestic violence dispute on Second Street.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
21 July 2025
Noun
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As three people with remote connections to a house try to solve two brutal murders, the story becomes increasingly complicated and implausible, evolving into a fable about a cursed family.—
Pat Tompkins,
AFAR Media,
18 June 2025
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The Mulan legend is widely recounted in Chinese literature and inspired a fictional character in two Walt Disney movies based on the Chinese fable.—
Stephanie Balkwill,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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With all due respect to the pressures of making an unconventional sci-fi film on a tight budget, using ecologically destructive technology for a story of ecological devastation, in which clean water is an increasingly rare resource, adds an unintentionally grim layer of irony to the tale.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
11 Aug. 2025
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The two met in secret, and some versions of the story suggest their love lives on only in death, much like the Western tale of Romeo and Juliet.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Parable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parable. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.
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