metanarrative
noun /ˈmetənærətɪv/
/ˈmetənærətɪv/
(formal)- a type of play, novel, etc. that experiments with or explores the idea of telling a story, often by drawing attention to the fact that it is an invented story, not an account of real events
- Don Quixote is a work of fiction but also a metanarrative.
- an overall account of things that enables people to find belief, pattern and meaning in their experiences
- Traditional religions provide stories that deliver a metanarrative about how we should live our lives.