: a usually short tale of adventure

Examples of conte in a Sentence

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.
Some sets come with conte crayons, which are a combination of graphite, clay, charcoal and pigment. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 16 June 2025 Pool-play games in Kansas City will take place on June 16, 20, 25 and 27; a round-of-32 contes is set for July 3 and the quarterfinal will be July 11. Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2025 The French word conte is tricksy, even contradictory, but what I had always been taught is that contes are more anecdotal than conventional short stories, coming out of the tradition of oral tales and often devoted to a single theme. Lauren Groff, The New York Review of Books, 23 Apr. 2020 Today, though, her powerful fiction is too little read, apart from a handful of eerie tales and contes cruels. Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 5 June 2019

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of conte was in 1843

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Conte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conte. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.

Biographical Definition

Conte

biographical name

Con·​te ˈkōn-tā How to pronounce Conte (audio)
Giuseppe 1964–     prime minister of Italy (2018–21)

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