anecdote

Meaning

Noun

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

Verb

To tell anecdotes (about).

Synonyms

joke

🤣

story

funny story

tale

narrative

episode

fable

common talk

gag

reputation

sally

yarn

🧶

unknown fact

supplementary biography

humorous story

historical anecdote

historical frills

account

anạ

cartoon

filling in

gossip

incident

jest

mannerism

memoir

narration

Translations

Anekdote

anecdote

anécdota

aneddoto

ανέκδοτο

anedota

anekdote

anecdote

anècdota

historieta

àneddoto

نادرة

piada

🤣

Schnurre

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈæ.nɪk.doʊt/

Etymology

Cognate with French: anecdote

Cognate with German: Anekdote

Cognate with Spanish: anécdota

In summary

Late 17ᵗʰ c., from French anecdote, from Ancient Greek ἀνέκδοτος (anékdotos, “accounts unpublished”), from ἀν- (an-, “not, un-”) + ἔκδοτος (ékdotos, “published”), from ἐκδίδωμι (ekdídōmi, “I publish”), from ἐκ- (ek-, “out”) + δίδωμι (dídōmi, “I give”).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