nar·ra·tive
ˈner-ə-tiv 
ˈna-rə-
1
b
: a way of presenting or understanding a situation or series of events that reflects and promotes a particular point of view or set of values
The rise of the Tea Party and the weakness of the Obama economy have fueled a Republican narrative about Big Government as a threat to liberty …—
Michael Grunwald
Michael GrunwaldThe media narrative around Kelly's appointment had two central ideas … : He would calm and professionalize the White House, and he would provide a more measured leadership style than his boss.—Perry Bacon, Jr.
Perry Bacon, Jr.2
: the art or practice of narration
… depended not on narrative but on intensity derived from the verity to make the book jump.—Stanley Kauffmann
Stanley Kauffmann3
: the representation in art of an event or story
also
: an example of such a representation
the narrative of St. Joan of Arc
narratively
adverb
1
: having the form of a story or representing a story
a narrative poem
narrative paintings
2
: of or relating to the process of telling a story
the author's narrative style
the novel's narrative structure
Synonyms
Examples of narrative in a Sentence
Noun
He is writing a detailed narrative of his life on the island.
People have questioned the accuracy of his narrative.
Recent Examples on the WebCarrie Battan, The New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2023
There is less emphasis on painting discrete narratives, more on building up autonomous tableaux from miscellaneous ingredients, many of them human pinwheels made up of monsters, masks, sheep, birds and bats, or compositions alluding to the Old Masters.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2023
Memoirists are often told to not mistake narrative for therapy, and the bar for telling such stories is rightfully quite high.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 5 Dec. 2023
The personal becomes the political with Khan, whose roots lie in the erstwhile Rampur princely state of north India (now folded into Uttar Pradesh); the book is woven with personal anecdotes and oral histories that open up larger narratives about the cultural history of Rampur and India.
—Meher Mirza, Vogue, 5 Dec. 2023
In 2023, there was also a thriving reminder of a subgenre curated to caress the the egos of a rising conservative cultural tide, exemplifying how treacherously perfunctory their narratives and characters become when anchored to falsehoods of human behavior and interaction.
—Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 5 Dec. 2023
Grant chronicles his 142-day adventure in The Last Ride of the Pony Express, a first-person narrative describing his trip across the Great Plains of Nebraska and the sagebrush steppe of Wyoming in the company of his two horses, Badger and Chicken Fry.
—Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Dec. 2023
Four of this year’s short contenders for the Oscars tell personal narratives that lead audiences on uniquely distinct journeys.
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Dec. 2023
Some dismiss phonics as boring and unnecessary, preferring instead to surround children with books and engaging content — such as a story with an exciting adventure, a narrative from history or captivating science.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2023
Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
But the rest of it, all the narrative material for episode one and following was created for this show.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2023
Given that Hell’s Kitchen continues to check narrative boxes all along the line, what catches us?
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2023
While the series has in the past treated various prime ministers as characters with equal narrative weight to most of the royals, Blair is an afterthought here.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2023
The chorus attacked its narrative role (and its several haunting stretches of a cappella singing) with crisp, consonant authority.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023
And not just the year’s best, but one of the best works of narrative art about the day-to-day grind and emotional toll of artistic creation.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023
Encounter familiar faces, new villains, hard choices and dramatic twists in this narrative RPG that puts the player in charge as the story unfolds.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 Nov. 2023
But unlike Katniss, who was very much the beating heart of the earlier films, Lucy Gray has to compete for narrative primacy with the young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth).
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Nov. 2023
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Noun
For the past decade, Beyoncé has been using documentary film to craft a narrative about herself in the absence of traditional press interviews and public appearances.
—Carrie Battan, The New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2023
There is less emphasis on painting discrete narratives, more on building up autonomous tableaux from miscellaneous ingredients, many of them human pinwheels made up of monsters, masks, sheep, birds and bats, or compositions alluding to the Old Masters.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2023
Memoirists are often told to not mistake narrative for therapy, and the bar for telling such stories is rightfully quite high.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 5 Dec. 2023
The personal becomes the political with Khan, whose roots lie in the erstwhile Rampur princely state of north India (now folded into Uttar Pradesh); the book is woven with personal anecdotes and oral histories that open up larger narratives about the cultural history of Rampur and India.
—Meher Mirza, Vogue, 5 Dec. 2023
In 2023, there was also a thriving reminder of a subgenre curated to caress the the egos of a rising conservative cultural tide, exemplifying how treacherously perfunctory their narratives and characters become when anchored to falsehoods of human behavior and interaction.
—Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 5 Dec. 2023
Grant chronicles his 142-day adventure in The Last Ride of the Pony Express, a first-person narrative describing his trip across the Great Plains of Nebraska and the sagebrush steppe of Wyoming in the company of his two horses, Badger and Chicken Fry.
—Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Dec. 2023
Four of this year’s short contenders for the Oscars tell personal narratives that lead audiences on uniquely distinct journeys.
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Dec. 2023
Some dismiss phonics as boring and unnecessary, preferring instead to surround children with books and engaging content — such as a story with an exciting adventure, a narrative from history or captivating science.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2023
Adjective
With narrative elegance, formal brio and exquisite feeling, Cooper ushers Felicia into the spotlight and sometimes shunts the attention-hogging Lenny off into the wings.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
But the rest of it, all the narrative material for episode one and following was created for this show.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2023
Given that Hell’s Kitchen continues to check narrative boxes all along the line, what catches us?
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2023
While the series has in the past treated various prime ministers as characters with equal narrative weight to most of the royals, Blair is an afterthought here.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2023
The chorus attacked its narrative role (and its several haunting stretches of a cappella singing) with crisp, consonant authority.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023
And not just the year’s best, but one of the best works of narrative art about the day-to-day grind and emotional toll of artistic creation.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023
Encounter familiar faces, new villains, hard choices and dramatic twists in this narrative RPG that puts the player in charge as the story unfolds.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 Nov. 2023
But unlike Katniss, who was very much the beating heart of the earlier films, Lucy Gray has to compete for narrative primacy with the young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth).
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Nov. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'narrative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing narrative
Dictionary Entries Near narrative
Cite this Entry
“Narrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narrative. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
narrative
noun
nar·ra·tive
ˈnar-ət-iv
1
: something (as a story) that is told or written
2
: the art or practice of telling stories
narrative
adjective
More from Merriam-Webster on narrative
Nglish: Translation of narrative for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of narrative for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about narrative
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