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anecdote

Noun

IPA /ˈænɪkdəʊt/

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Meaning in plain English

A brief story about a real event or person, usually shared because it is interesting or amusing.

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Pronunciation

anecdote/ˈænɪkdəʊt/

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Something amusing really happened
You tell a short story about it

An anecdote is a brief story about a real incident.

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Examples in context

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My grandmother told us an amusing anecdote about her first job.
She opened her presentation with an anecdote about a difficult customer.

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Quick word quiz

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My grandmother told us an amusing ________ about her first job.

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anecdote — A brief story about a real event or person, usually shared because it is interesting or amusing.

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A brief story about a real event or person, usually shared because it is interesting or amusing.

Compare: My grandmother told us an amusing anecdote about her first job.

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Word origin

Ultimately from Greek anekdota, meaning things that had not been published.

Did you know?

An anecdote usually concerns a particular incident, rather than someone's whole life.

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