short story

noun

: an invented prose narrative shorter than a novel usually dealing with a few characters and aiming at unity of effect and often concentrating on the creation of mood rather than plot

Examples of short story in a Sentence

her very first short story was accepted for publication in a local journal
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The collection of short stories explores how and why people make financial decisions, and how psychology can work for or against them. Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2025 The $10 million movie is loosely based on a short story by Stephen King. Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2025 Almost as long as that legendary master of horror Stephen King has been keeping book lovers up at night, filmmakers have been adapting his novels and short stories. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025 The old, magical city sets the stage for David Fincher’s fantastical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s very curious short story, about a man (Brad Pitt) who is born with the appearance of an older man and ages backward. James Mercadante, EW.com, 8 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for short story

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of short story was in 1861

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Cite this Entry

“Short story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20story. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

short story

noun
: a short work of fiction usually dealing with a few characters and a single event

More from Merriam-Webster on short story

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