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.
And came across a short story by your wife on the internet. Ayad Akhtar, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2024 Villeneuve's 2016 sci-fi film Arrival (which earned him his first and so far only Oscar nomination for Best Director) was based on a short story by Ted Chiang — fans might do well to expect more projects like that from Villeneuve's post-Dune career. Christian Holub, EW.com, 2 Dec. 2024 Based on a short story by Hedges, the film’s plot is being kept under wraps. Justin Kroll, Deadline, 29 Nov. 2024 Bradford got her start as a journalist, writing short stories and columns for local magazines in her teens. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near short story

Cite this Entry

“Short story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20story. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

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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