short story

noun

1. a piece of prose fiction, usually under 10,000 words.

short story

noun

1. a prose narrative of shorter length than the novel, esp one that concentrates on a single theme

Other Word Forms

• short-story adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of short story¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Canadian author Margaret Atwood has released a new short story that takes aim at a book ban implemented in the Canadian province of Alberta.

From BBC

Jonathan Lethem, a MacArthur fellow, is the author of several novels, including “The Fortress of Solitude,” and “Motherless Brooklyn,” winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, and several short story collections.

From Los Angeles Times

Fratantoni never rushed me and turned every question I had into a short story that never felt like a lecture.

From Los Angeles Times

But when a local librarian put a book of Flannery O’Connor short stories in her hands, something shifted.

From Los Angeles Times

“There is no such thing as a good writer and a bad liar,” Amy Bloom wrote in her 1999 short story “The Story,” which remains my favorite of all her work.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• narrative 
• novella 
• tale