Definition of apologuenext
as in allegory
a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life the film is an apologue of sorts, but the message is couched in a zany and action-filled plot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for apologue
Noun
  • Her 10-episode first season isn’t just an allegory for learning to accept and conquer life’s inescapable anxieties; its horrors are irrefutable for everyone onscreen, which makes for a cathartic, curious, and chilling experience for everyone watching at home.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Calling it a national convention made for a better allegory, though.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Jesus, who speaks in parables, not in dicta or dogmas, provides us with a primary instance of the power of the nonliteral tale.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
  • On Sundays, O’Neal’s father preached hope from the pulpit, stories of his family intertwined with morals and truths and parables.
    Courtney Crowder, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • That Niall finds Ruben so alluring is natural to Gadd, who believes the notion of a valiant male figure has been bred into everyone via fables and fairy tales.
    Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
  • On Friday, April 10, when those winged sprites took to the War Memorial Opera House stage for a seven-performance run, the whole tartan-and-gossamer fable felt more alive than ever.
    Rachel Howard, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The 2-panel chart below tells the tale.
    Carter Braxton Worth, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Whitman’s poetry and prose; Melville’s early romances of the sea, Typee, Omoo, and Mardi; three novels by Harriet Beecher Stowe, including Uncle Tom’s Cabin; and the complete tales and sketches of Nathaniel Hawthorne.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Apologue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apologue. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster