parable

noun

par·​a·​ble ˈper-ə-bəl 

ˈpa-rə-

: a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle

the Biblical parable of the Good Samaritan

also : something (such as a news story or a series of real events) likened to a parable in providing an instructive example or lesson

In some ways, his life is a parable of the corrupting effect of great wealth, for he always assumed that everyone was after his money and out to cheat him.

—Gavin Stamp

By the summer of 2014, 380 House members and 74 senators had signed on as sponsors …. The ABLE Act had become a force. Yet in a parable of how Washington works, the bill still had a long way to go.

—Gail Russell Chaddock

Did you know?

Parable comes from the Latin word parabola, from Greek parabolḗ, meaning "comparison." The word parabola may look familiar if you remember your geometry. The mathematical parabola refers to a curve that is shaped like the path of something that is thrown forward and high in the air and falls back to the ground.

Synonyms

• allegory
• apologue
• fable

Examples of parable in a Sentence

He told the children a parable about the importance of forgiveness.

the parable of the Good Samaritan

Recent Examples on the Web

Some people come to listen, some to vent, some to mull the parables through fogs of addiction or mental illness. —Moriah Ratner, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024

Even absent conscious efforts to use them strategically, parables in pop culture can inform how audiences think about real-world politics—often in ways that authors don’t necessarily intend. —Charli Carpenter, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2019

The riffs and ribbing were still there, as were the parables about fame and celebrity as corruptive, murder-inspiring forces. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024

This approach, which was known as neoclassical economics, struck Harris as an unrealistic parable that didn’t reflect the real world. —John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English parable, parabol "allegorical narrative, proverb, speech," borrowed from Anglo-French parable, going back to Late Latin parabola "comparison, allegory, proverb, discourse, speech," going back to Latin, "explanatory illustration, comparison," borrowed from Greek parabolḗ "juxtaposition, comparison," "proverb" (Septuagint), "parable" (New Testament), from parabol-, stem in noun derivation of parabállein "to cast before (as fodder for a horse), expose, set beside, compare," from para- para- entry 1 + bállein "to reach by throwing, let fly, strike, put, place" — more at devil entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

parable

noun

par·​a·​ble ˈpar-ə-bəl 

: a short simple story illustrating a moral or spiritual truth