anecdote

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Late 17th c., from French anecdote, from Ancient Greek ἀνέκδοτος (anékdotos, “accounts unpublished”), from ἀν- (an-, “not, un-”) + ἔκδοτος (ékdotos, “published”), from ἐκδίδωμι (ekdídōmi, “I publish”), from ἐκ- (ek-, “out”) + δίδωμι (dídōmi, “I give”).

Virtually identical cognates in other European languages – French anecdote, German Anekdote, Spanish anécdota, among others.

Pronunciation
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈæ.nɪk.doʊt/
  • audio (US)(file)

Noun

anecdote (plural anecdotes)

  1. A short account of a real incident or person, often humorous or interesting.
    tell an anecdote
    relate a short anecdote
  2. An account which supports an argument, but which is not supported by scientific or statistical analysis.
  3. A previously untold secret account of an incident.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

anecdote (third-person singular simple present anecdotes, present participle anecdoting, simple past and past participle anecdoted)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) To tell anecdotes (about).
    • 1879, Eustace Clare Grenville Murray, That Artful Vicar
      They were all men of the same set, knowing one another intimately, and knowing the same people; so they fell to talking and anecdoting in such pleasant wise that dinner-time approached […]
    • 1986, Elliot L. Gilbert, Best Short Stories from the California Quarterly, 1971-1985 (page 101)
      Bob anecdoted the circus he and Jimmy had seen that afternoon.

Anagrams

French

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /a.nɛk.dɔt/
  • audio(file)

Noun

anecdote f (plural anecdotes)

  1. anecdote

Descendants

Further reading
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