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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The short story and game largely follow the same premise, with a sentient supercomputer named AM wiping out humanity... except for five unlucky souls: Benny, Ellen, Gorrister, Nimdok, and Ted. Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 18 Apr. 2025 The short story collection was also a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pen America Open Book Award. Thammavongsa, who immigrated to Canada as a child, pulled from her family’s experience as Laotian refugees to write the short story collection. Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025 That stung Fitzgerald, who had been developing the storyline through previous short stories and novels. Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025 The Great Gatsby hadn’t even sold out its initial printing, in 1925, of 23,000 copies, and Fitzgerald was living hand to mouth (the hand was big, but so was the mouth) writing short stories and film scripts. Nathan King, Air Mail, 5 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for short story

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of short story was in 1861

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Cite this Entry

“Short story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20story. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

short story

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

More from Merriam-Webster on short story

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