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

Synonyms

• narrative
• novelette
• novella
• story
• tale
• yarn

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

Charles Dickens, who wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843, wrote the short story A Christmas Tree seven years later about the beloved decoration. —Marina Watts, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024

The fifteen animated, standalone short stories are set within the worlds of some of the most beloved video games of all time, including Unreal Tournament, Mega Man, Armored Core, and Spelunky. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024

Their writing credits since include Sony’s 65 starring Adam Driver and 20th Century Studios’ The Boogeyman based on the Stephen King short story (and also starring Thatcher). —Lynette Rice, Deadline, 15 Dec. 2024

Sciascia was an Italian writer of novels, plays, and other things, in addition to short stories. —Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

short story

noun

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