What does narratable mean?
Narratable means that something can be told as a story rather than merely described as an isolated fact. The adjective is often applied to events, experiences, lives, or journeys that possess a recognizable sequence of developments and that can be retold in an engaging way. A narratable story need not be fictional, and it need not have been deliberately created as a narrative; the expression can suggest that real events possess the shape of a story naturally. The word is also used more broadly to emphasize the possibility of communicating an experience through words. It differs from narrative, which names a story or refers to the method of presenting events, and from narratable, which evaluates the story-like potential of something. Although the adjective is relatively uncommon, it is useful when discussing how personal, historical, or collective experiences are transformed into memorable accounts.
adjectiveCapable of being told as a story. A narratable event or experience can be presented through a sequence of connected events, often in an engaging or memorable way.
- Able to be recounted or presented as a story, especially in a coherent, engaging, or memorable way.
"Her journey from refugee to Olympic finalist was remarkably narratable."
"The expedition was full of danger, but its survival tale remained highly narratable."
"The novel explores which parts of a life are narratable and which resist being turned into a story."
Narratable is storytelling turned into a quality: some events happen, while narratable events unfold into a story worth telling.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does narratable come from?
Narratable was formed in English from narrate and the suffix -able, meaning “capable of being.” The verb narrate comes from Latin narrare, “to tell or relate,” which is related to Latin gnoscere, “to know.” English later developed several words from the same source, including narration, narrative, and narrator.
Related word forms
How narratable is actually used
This adjective is relatively uncommon in everyday speech. It is especially useful for emphasizing that an experience has a clear sequence of events or possesses the qualities of a compelling story.
Easily confused with narratable
Narratable is an adjective describing something capable of being told as a story, whereas narrative is a noun or adjective referring to the story itself or to the manner of telling it.