Skip to content

anecdote

anecdote

noun ah-nek-DOT Rare
Communication Speech

Origin: Greek anekdota (unpublished things)

Usage Note

Anecdote is used much as in English — a short, amusing or illustrative story. The adjective anecdotique means 'anecdotal' but in French can also mean 'trivial' or 'beside the point', which is a false friend to watch. The plural anecdotes is common in storytelling contexts.

Examples

"Il nous a raconté une anecdote amusante."

Natural Translation

He told us an amusing anecdote.

Explore French by topic