narrate

verb

nar·​rate ˈner-ˌāt 

ˈna-ˌrat,

na-ˈrāt 

narrated; narrating

transitive verb

: to tell (a story) in detail

The children enjoyed the lively manner with which she narrated her life's story.

also : to provide spoken commentary for (something, such as a movie or television show)

The documentary is narrated by a famous actor.

narrator

ˈner-ˌā-tər 

ˈna-ˌrā-

na-ˈrā-

nə-;

ˈner-ə-

ˈna-rə-

noun

Synonyms

• chart
• chronicle
• describe
• recite
• recount
• rehearse
• relate
• report
• tell

Examples of narrate in a Sentence

The author narrates her story in great detail.

a documentary narrated by a famous actor

Recent Examples on the Web

There are also documentaries like Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey, Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley, plane crash survival doc The Lost Children, and The Mother of Penguins, narrated by Barack Obama. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 1 Nov. 2024

As the band jammed through their set, fans danced to banjo, violin, acoustic guitar and pop drums, narrated by Dasha who gave personal anecdotes about what each song was about. —Matt Tighe, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024

It’s addressed to an infant discovering the world, unburdened by the darkness that casts a shadow over the narrating mother. —Nina Foster, JSTOR Daily, 25 Oct. 2024

Hassell uses a white dress and cape to narrate a story of reclamation, where clothing serves as a symbol of identity and transformation. —Shelby Stewart, Essence, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin narratus, past participle of narrare, from Latin gnarus knowing; akin to Latin gnoscere, noscere to know — more at know

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

narrate

verb

nar·​rate ˈna(ə)r-ˌāt  na-ˈrāt 

narrated; narrating

: relate sense 1, tell

narrate a story

narrator

ˈna(ə)r-ˌāt-ər 

na-ˈrāt-

nə-;

ˈnar-ət-

noun