Dictionary

narrative en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• [ˈnɛɹəɾɪv] Mary–marry–merry merger
• /ˈnæɹ.ə.tɪv/ without the Mary–marry–merry merger
• (US) audio
• /ˈnɛɹ.ə.tɪv/ Mary–marry–merry merger
• /ˈnæɹ.ə.tɪv/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈnæɹəɾɪv] without the Mary–marry–merry merger
• /nəˈreː.ʈɪʋ/ (India)

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle Scots narrative, nerrative, from Middle French narratif, from Latin narrātīvus, from narrō (“to narrate”). By surface analysis, Latin narr- + -ate + -ive.

Meanings

1. Telling a story.
2. Overly talkative; garrulous.
   • But wise through time, and narrative with age. 1715–1720, Homer, “(please specify the book of the Iliad or chapter quoted from)”, in Alexander Pope, transl., The Iliad of Homer, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC:
3. Of or relating to narration.
   • There is a deep divide in our species. On one side, the narrators: those who are indeed intensely narrative, self-storying, Homeric, in their sense of life and self, whether they look to the past or the future. 2004 January 10, Galen Strawson, “Review: Making Stories by Jerome Bruner”, in The Guardian:
   • the narrative thrust of a film

Forms

Deriveds

narrative verdict · narrative present · narrativise · grounded narrative inquiry · seminarrative · narrative arc · nonnarrative · narrativization · narrativize · semionarrative · narratively · narrative art · narrative structure · pseudonarrative

Translations (47)

nl vertellend (of or relating to narration) · de erzählerisch (telling a story) · da fortællende (telling a story) · es narrativo (telling a story) · oc narratiu (telling a story) · nl vertellend (telling a story) · fi tarinankerronnallinen (of or relating to narration) · fi kerrontaan liittyvä (of or relating to narration) · nl breedsprakig (overly talkative) · fi vuolassanainen (overly talkative) · pl gadatliwy (overly talkative) · ru разгово́рчивый (overly talkative) · bg бъбрив (overly talkative) · is frásaga (telling a story) · fi kerronta- (of or relating to narration) · bg разказвателен (of or relating to narration) · nb fortellende (telling a story) · th เกี่ยวกับเรื่องเล่า (of or relating to narration) · de ausschweifend (overly talkative) · pl narratywny (telling a story) · da berettende (telling a story) · de erzählerisch (of or relating to narration) · fi kerronnallinen (of or relating to narration) · is frásögn (telling a story) · nl verhalend (telling a story) · de geschwätzig (overly talkative) · de erzählend (telling a story) · bg повествователен (telling a story) · th ช่างพูดมาก (overly talkative) · ru наррати́вный (telling a story) · de narrativ (of or relating to narration) · nl narratief (of or relating to narration) · ru болтли́вый (overly talkative) · cs narativní (telling a story) · ar سَرْدِي (telling a story) · es narrativo (of or relating to narration) · nl spraakzaam (overly talkative) · ca narratiu (telling a story) · ru повествова́тельный (telling a story) · de in erzählender Form darlegend (telling a story) · cs vyprávěcí (telling a story) · pl narracyjny (of or relating to narration) · nl narratief (telling a story) · id naratif (telling a story) · fi kertova (telling a story) · fr narratif (telling a story) · th การเล่าเรื่อง (telling a story)

narrative en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• [ˈnɛɹəɾɪv] Mary–marry–merry merger
• /ˈnæɹ.ə.tɪv/ without the Mary–marry–merry merger
• (US) audio
• /ˈnɛɹ.ə.tɪv/ Mary–marry–merry merger
• /ˈnæɹ.ə.tɪv/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈnæɹəɾɪv] without the Mary–marry–merry merger
• /nəˈreː.ʈɪʋ/ (India)

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle Scots narrative, nerrative, from Middle French narratif, from Latin narrātīvus, from narrō (“to narrate”). By surface analysis, Latin narr- + -ate + -ive.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The systematic recitation of an event or series of events.
2. (countable, uncountable) That which is narrated.
3. (countable, uncountable) A representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view.
   • Yes, there were instances of grandstanding and obsessive behaviour, but many were concealed at the time to help protect an aggressively peddled narrative of [Oscar] Pistorius the paragon, the emblem, the trailblazer. 2014 October 21, Oliver Brown, “Oscar Pistorius jailed for five years”, in The Daily Telegraph (Sport):
   • [Alexandra] Bell challenges the dominant coverage of Brown’s killing with the aim of introducing “a perspective and a narrative which is probably how a lot of people from these communities saw it go down”. 2017 May 30, Francisco Navas, quoting Alexandra Bell, “'It feels important': the counter-narrative artist challenging how news is reported”, in The Guardian:
   • The posters quickly became embroiled in the interminable battle over narrative in the Israel-Palestine conflict. 2023 November 10, Chris McGreal, “‘It’s like a fire in the world’: how the Israeli ‘kidnapped’ posters set off a phenomenon and a backlash”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • changing, controlling the narrative
4. (countable, qualifier:creative writing, uncountable) A manner of conveying a story, fictional or otherwise, in a body of work.
   • The plot is full of holes, but the narrative is extremely compelling.
   • The player is free to create their own narrative within a much larger set of possible designed narrative options, or, given the geographic and dialogical openness of Morrowind, to refuse the creation of any narrative but their own and wander aimlessly through the game. 2015, Angus Slater, “Prophecy, Pre-destination, and Free-form Gameplay: The Nerevarine Prophecy in Bethesda’s ‘Morrowind’”, in Online: Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet, volume 7, →DOI, page 175:

Forms

Deriveds

antinarrative · grand narrative · geonarrative · narrativeless · self-narrative · narrativist · ludonarrative · micronarrative · metanarrative · narrativity · antenarrative · multinarrative · counternarrative · subnarrative · cybernarrative · narrative hook · narreme · sequential art narrative · narrativistic

Relateds

narrate · narration · narrator

Translations (126)

ba хикәйә (systematic recitation of an event) · uk ро́зповідь (systematic recitation of an event) · ru наррати́в (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · fi kertomus (which is narrated) · lv stāsts (which is narrated) · sk naratív (systematic recitation of an event) · pl historia (which is narrated) · de einseitige Darstellung der Ereignisse (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · km រឿងតំណាល (systematic recitation of an event) · lv stāstīšana (systematic recitation of an event) · bn রেওয়ায়ৎ (which is narrated) · uk о́повідь (systematic recitation of an event) · de Bericht (which is narrated) · ar سَرْدِيَّة (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · ja 物語り方 (a way of storytelling) · pl narracja (systematic recitation of an event) · bg повествова́ние (systematic recitation of an event) · de Darstellung (systematic recitation of an event) · uk розповіда́ння (systematic recitation of an event) · de unausgewogene Darstellungsweise (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · de Schilderung (which is narrated) · cs příběh (systematic recitation of an event) · vi tường thuật (systematic recitation of an event) · de Darstellung eines Ereignisablaufes (systematic recitation of an event) · grc ἱστορία (systematic recitation of an event) · ru повествова́ние (a way of storytelling) · ja 物語 (systematic recitation of an event) · fi selostus (which is narrated) · ar رِوَايَة (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · fi kertomus (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · be апо́весць (systematic recitation of an event) · bg повествова́ние (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · fr narration (systematic recitation of an event) · de Geschichte (systematic recitation of an event) · de Schilderung (systematic recitation of an event) · uk оповіда́ння (systematic recitation of an event) · lv stāstījums (which is narrated) · de Bericht (systematic recitation of an event) · sk príbeh (systematic recitation of an event) · el αφήγηση (systematic recitation of an event) · et jutustus (systematic recitation of an event) · ba хикәйә (which is narrated) · nl vertelde (which is narrated) · ky баян (systematic recitation of an event) · nl verteltrant (a way of storytelling) · sk rozprávanie (systematic recitation of an event) · be апавяда́ньне (systematic recitation of an event) · nl verslag (systematic recitation of an event) · km និទានកថា (systematic recitation of an event) · el αφήγημα (systematic recitation of an event) · be нараты́ў (systematic recitation of an event) · nl verhaal (which is narrated) · sv berättelse (which is narrated) · bg нарати́в (systematic recitation of an event) · ur رِوایَت (systematic recitation of an event) · ja 姿勢 (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · ka ისტორია (systematic recitation of an event) · pl relacja (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · ja 解釈 (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · ang ġereċednes (systematic recitation of an event) · de Erzählweise (a way of storytelling) · ca narració (which is narrated) · fi kerronta (a way of storytelling) · de erzählerische Geschehenswiedergabe (systematic recitation of an event) · de einseitige Sicht der Dinge (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · he נרטיב (systematic recitation of an event) · be апо́весьць (systematic recitation of an event) · ro narațiune (systematic recitation of an event) · be по́весць (systematic recitation of an event) · nl vertelling (a way of storytelling) · grc διήγησις (systematic recitation of an event) · es narrativa (systematic recitation of an event) · bn রেওয়ায়ৎ (systematic recitation of an event) · got 𐌹𐌽𐍃𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 (systematic recitation of an event) · ru исто́рия (which is narrated) · nl vertelling (systematic recitation of an event) · ru расска́з (systematic recitation of an event) · be апавяда́нне (systematic recitation of an event) · de Narrativ (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · ko 이야기 (systematic recitation of an event) · fi narratiivi (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · es narración (which is narrated) · ko 설화 (systematic recitation of an event) · de Erzählung (which is narrated) · ar قِصَّة (systematic recitation of an event) · hy պատում (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · cmn 記敘文 /记叙文 (systematic recitation of an event) · pt narrativa (systematic recitation of an event) · fi selostus (systematic recitation of an event) · vi kể chuyện (systematic recitation of an event) · de persönliche Sichtweise (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · uz hikoya (systematic recitation of an event) · hu narratíva (which is narrated) · fa-ira روایت (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · ar حِكَايَة (systematic recitation of an event) · be по́весьць (systematic recitation of an event) · de Erzählung (systematic recitation of an event) · bg описа́ние (systematic recitation of an event) · ru изложе́ние фактов (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · cs narace (systematic recitation of an event) · de Narrativ (systematic recitation of an event) · lv stāstījums (systematic recitation of an event) · es marco (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · uga 𐎎𐎒𐎔𐎗 (systematic recitation of an event) · nl verhaal (systematic recitation of an event) · fi tarina (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · de Wiedergabe (systematic recitation of an event) · tg ривоят (systematic recitation of an event) · ca narrativa (which is narrated) · de Darstellung (which is narrated) · ru повествова́ние (systematic recitation of an event) · cs vyprávění (systematic recitation of an event) · fr récit (systematic recitation of an event) · bg ра́зказ (systematic recitation of an event) · es relato (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · uk нарати́в (systematic recitation of an event) · ru расска́з (which is narrated) · ka ამბავი (systematic recitation of an event) · pl narracja (a way of storytelling) · de Erzählen (systematic recitation of an event) · it descrizione (systematic recitation of an event) · ru наррати́в (systematic recitation of an event) · hu narratíva (systematic recitation of an event) · nl verhaal (a representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view) · fa-ira رِوایَت (systematic recitation of an event) · fi kertomus (systematic recitation of an event)