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Webster 1913 Edition

Anecdote

An′ec-dote

,
Noun.
[F.
anecdote
, fr. Gr. [GREEK] not published;
ἀν
priv. + [GREEK] given out, [GREEK] to give out, to publish; [GREEK] out + [GREEK] to give. See
Dose
,
Noun.
]
1.
pl.
Unpublished narratives.
Burke.
2.
A particular or detached incident or fact of an interesting nature; a biographical incident or fragment; a single passage of private life.

Webster 1828 Edition

Anecdote

AN'ECDOTE

,
Noun.
[Gr. to publish, part, given out.]
In its original sense, secret history, or facts not generally known. But in more common usage, a particular or detached incident or fact of an interesting nature; a biographical incident; a single passage of private life. Procopius gave the title of anecdotes to a book he published against Justinian and his wife Theodora; and similar collections of incidents in the lives of eminent men are now common.

Definition 2024

anecdote

anecdote

English

Alternative forms

Noun

anecdote ‎(plural anecdotes)

  1. A short account of a real incident or person, often humorous or interesting.
  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

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /a.nɛk.dɔt/

Noun

anecdote f ‎(plural anecdotes)

  1. anecdote

Etymology

Late 17th century, from French anecdote, from Ancient Greek ἀνέκδοτος ‎(anékdotos, “accounts unpublished”), from ἀν- ‎(an-, “not, un-”) + ἔκδοτος ‎(ékdotos, “published”), from ἐκδίδωμι ‎(ekdídōmi, “I publish”), from ἐκ- ‎(ek-, “out”) + δίδωμι ‎(dídōmi, “I give”).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

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