► story a description of how something happened, that is intended to entertain people, and may be true or imaginary: The movie is based on a true story. A lot of people like to read detective stories.
► tale a story about things that happened long ago, or things that may not have really happened: As a young boy he loved books about pirates and tales of adventure.
► myth a very old story about gods, magical creatures, etc.: In Greek myths, Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty.
► legend an old story about brave people or magical events that is probably not true: The legend of King Arthur is based on a real Celtic king.
► fable a traditional story that teaches a moral lesson: The fable about the tortoise and the hare teaches that slow steady work is the way to succeed.
► anecdote formal a short interesting story about a particular person or event: He started his speech with an amusing anecdote about the couple who were getting married.
► yarn a long story, usually spoken, that is not completely true: We listened to Grandpa’s yarns about the early days on the farm.
► plot the story that is told in a book, movie, or play: The plot was very complicated, and I didn’t understand what was happening.
► narrative formal the way that a story or set of events is explained, for example in a book: The book lacks a traditional narrative, and instead goes back and forth in time.