narrative

1 of 2

noun

nar·​ra·​tive ˈner-ə-tiv How to pronounce narrative (audio)
ˈna-rə-
1
a
: something that is narrated : story, account
He is writing a detailed narrative of his life on the island.
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
The 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.
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
3
: 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

narrative

2 of 2

adjective

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

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 Web
Noun
The attacks highlighted that Kyiv has been able to strike even further into Russia while Moscow is unable to control the narrative of Ukraine's reach militarily. Peter Suciu, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 Unlocking the Truth explores a new narrative examining the motives of Dr. Philip Zimbardo, the Stanford University psychology professor who oversaw the experiment and gained worldwide recognition following its conclusion. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2024
Adjective
The narrative voice in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road is rugged and stripped bare—the story told in a last gasp. Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024 For one thing, the Andy Griffith version already exists in this narrative universe. Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for narrative 

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

First Known Use

Noun

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of narrative was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near narrative

Cite this Entry

“Narrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narrative. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

narrative

noun
nar·​ra·​tive ˈnar-ət-iv How to pronounce narrative (audio)
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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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