noun / adjective
narrative
NAIR-uh-tiv/ˈnærətɪv/
An account that connects events into an understandable story.
The journal's narrative connects the departure, voyage, and arrival in sequence.
Etymology
The pieces first described something “suited to narration,” rather than naming a story. The adjective became a noun for the connected account itself—the events as recounted in speech or writing.
In context
linear and chronological narrative or even a dual timeline
More examples
- The witnesses offer different narratives of the same evening.
- New evidence challenges the narrative that the company ignored safety.
- The author's narrative style makes ordinary events feel exciting.