tale

noun

ˈtāl 

1

a

: a usually imaginative narrative of an event : story

b

: an intentionally untrue report : falsehood

always preferred the tale to the truth

—Sir Winston Churchill

2

a

: a series of events or facts told or presented : account

b(1)

: a report of a private or confidential matter

dead men tell no tales

(2)

: a libelous report or piece of gossip

3

a

: count, tally

b

: total

4

obsolete : discourse, talk

Synonyms

• canard
• story
• whisper

Examples of tale in a Sentence

The movie is a stirring tale of courage.

We listened to his familiar tale of woe as he talked again about the failure of his marriage.

He told us thrilling tales about his adventures as a pilot in the war.

Are you telling tales again? Or is that the truth?

Recent Examples on the Web

This incident serves as a cautionary tale for companies deploying AI in their communications. —Rebekah Bastian, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025

Per old wives’ tales, nesting is a phenomenon that happens near the end of gestation: a maternal instinct to prepare for birth. —Betty Liu, Bon Appétit, 20 Jan. 2025

Associating King and the Civil Rights Movement with the South is a more comfortable tale. —Erik Wallenberg, Chicago Tribune, 19 Jan. 2025

Her journey will be set 300 years after Jin Sakai's tale, in the lands surrounding Mount Yotei. —David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English talu; akin to Old Norse tala talk

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Phrases Containing tale

• fairy tale
• old wives' tale
• spin a tale
• tale of woe
• tale-teller
• tall tale/story
• thereby hangs a tale

Kids Definition

tale

noun

ˈtā(ə)l 

1

: something told

a tale of woe

2

: a story about an imaginary event

a fairy tale

3

: a false story : lie

4

: a piece of harmful gossip

spread tales about us