A parable is a short story, which is told in order to make a moral or religious point, like those in the Bible.
...the parable of the Good Samaritan. [+ of]
The story is a pleasing parable of the problems created by an excess of wealth.
Synonyms: lesson, story, fable, allegory More Synonyms of parable
parable in British English
(ˈpærəbəl)
noun
1.
a short story that uses familiar events to illustrate a religious or ethical point
2.
any of the stories of this kind told by Jesus Christ
Derived forms
parabolist (pəˈræbəlɪst)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French parabole, from Latin parabola comparison, from Greek parabolē analogy, from paraballein to throw alongside, from para-1 + ballein to throw
parable in American English
(ˈpærəbəl)
noun
a short, simple story, usually of an occurrence of a familiar kind, from which a moral or religious lesson may be drawn
Word origin
ME < MFr parabole < LL(Ec) parabola, an allegorical relation, parable < L, comparison < Gr parabolē, an analogy (< paraballein, to throw beside: see para-1 & ball2), in N.T. & LXX, parable: transl. of Heb mashal, comparison
Examples of 'parable' in a sentence
parable
To this end they make effective use of parables and stories.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
Yet another modern parable for our times.
The Sun (2009)
It is a modern parable of the vicissitudes of sport and how fleeting fame can be.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In a parable, mosaic becomes a labour of dedication and endurance.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Third, celebrity culture provides us with parables for the modern age.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
I often use parables on page one.
Christianity Today (2000)
A bold parable of religious and racial identity.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
But his life has also become a sporting parable, one that the young especially should pay attention to.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
And as the new king takes over, the story gives us parables within parables about learning to accept death and defeat.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Had it been, the parable of the two men in the Temple could have become the parable of the two cricketers.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But I think he sees it as more of a parable, a story wrapped up in a morally instructive message.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
parable
British English: parable NOUN
A parable is a short story, which is told in order to make a moral or religious point.
Another parable tells the story of a boy who ran away from home.
American English: parable
Brazilian Portuguese: parábola
Chinese: 寓言
European Spanish: parábola
French: parabole
German: Gleichnis
Italian: parabola
Japanese: たとえ話
Korean: 우화
European Portuguese: parábola
Latin American Spanish: parábola
(noun)
Definition
a short story that uses familiar situations to illustrate a religious or moral point
the parable of the Good Samaritan
Synonyms
lesson
story
fable
Each tale has the timeless quality of fable.
allegory
The book is a kind of allegory of the country's history.
moral tale
exemplum
related words
related adjectivesparabolicparabolical
Additional synonyms
in the sense of allegory
Definition
a story, poem, or picture with an underlying meaning as well as the literal one
The book is a kind of allegory of the country's history.