anecdote
noun
an·ec·dote
| \ Ëa-nik-ËdĆt
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plural anecdotes
also anecdota\ Ëa-nik-ËdĆ-tÉ
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Definition of anecdote
: a usually short narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident
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Examples of anecdote in a Sentence
Like many Jesuits who then ate most of their meals in refectories, McKenzie was a master raconteur with endless anecdotes, stories, and one-liners.
— Margaret O'Brien Steinfels, Commonweal, 11 Sept. 2009
If Antony had won, of course, the story would have been very different. Indeed, despite the dominance of the Augustan version of events, a few hostile anecdotes about the young Octavian probably offer a glimpse of what Antony's side was saying.
— Mary Beard, New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2009
Alexander's use of the family's private papersâthe Waughs were prolific writers of letters and diaries as well as booksânot only adds richly to the entertainment value of his account but also serves to illuminate just how tangled are the threads of filial love, hurt, awe, and competitiveness that run through their work. Although he ranges freely over two centuries of family anecdotes, amusing and appalling by turn, the dominant figure here is, as it should be, Evelyn.
— Evelyn Toynton, Harper's, August 2007
Any competent science reporter knows anecdotes are not data and that one dramatic story proves nothing.
— Editor & Publisher, 4 Nov. 2002
Deeply convinced of her own unattractiveness, frequently lonely and unimaginably needy, Joplin was a person who lived all over the page. It is impossible to read about her and not crave more anecdotes and personal details of such a wanton, tragic life.
— Kim France, New York Times Book Review, 2 May 1999
He told us all sorts of humorous anecdotes about his childhood.
told us once again that anecdote about the dog and the bike
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Recent Examples on the Web
So this piece won't blow up a scary statistic, an alarming anecdote or a gut-clenching quote. — al, "I wanted to read an article about black motherhood that wasnât a horror story. So I wrote it.," 6 Sep. 2019 Brady devotees, meanwhile, will enjoy vintage clips from the original series, trivia quizzes and nostalgic anecdotes. — Chuck Barney, The Mercury News, "âA Very Brady Renovationâ: A groovy kind of makeover show," 5 Sep. 2019 Fortunately, both typically attend book talks and both are more than willing to answer questions and provide anecdotes. — cleveland.com, "Author, insider describes backstage rock ânâ roll experiences at Middleburg Heights Library," 31 Aug. 2019 Here's one slightly gross anecdote the internet's boyfriend casually dropped, however: Once, while simultaneously recording music and doing mushrooms at Malibu's Shangri-La studios, Harry bit a chunk of his tongue off. — Emily Dixon, Marie Claire, "Harry Styles Tripped on Mushrooms at the Studio and Bit Off Part of His Tongue," 27 Aug. 2019 Earlier this year, Texas Monthly wrote up a review of the BBQ Barn in Beasley, Texas, which included an anecdote that shows how family roots can produce unexpected fruit. — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, "This is the True Story Behind the BBQ Barn of Beasley, Texas," 22 Aug. 2019 While answering questions from Twitter for WIRED's latest Magic Support video, the celebrity magician shared one such anecdote. — Angela Watercutter, WIRED, "Penn Jillette Performed a SĂ©ance at a Steven Spielberg Party," 13 Aug. 2019 Interestingly enough, just one other little anecdote. — CBS News, "Transcript: Dennis Ross talks with Michael Morell on "Intelligence Matters"," 24 July 2019 Its mismatch of emotive acting and dead-eyed characters may prove boring to kids (my screening was full of distracted kids either loudly complaining or running around the theater, as one anecdote). — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Lion King remake review: Roaring visuals, but the execution is a hairball," 12 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anecdote.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for anecdote
anecdote
noun
English Language Learners Definition of anecdote
: a short story about an interesting or funny event or occurrence
See the full definition for anecdote in the English Language Learners Dictionary
anecdote
noun
an·ec·dote
| \ Ëa-nik-ËdĆt
\
\
Kids Definition of anecdote
: a short story about something interesting or funny in a person's life
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