: a fictitious narrative or statement: such as
a
: a legendary story of supernatural happenings
Minerva is in fables said, from Jove without a mother to proceed—
Sir John Davies
Sir John Davies
b
: a narration intended to enforce a useful truth
especially
: one in which animals speak and act like human beings
The theme of the fable was the folly of human vanity.
Synonyms
Examples of fable in a Sentence
Noun
a fable about busy ants
The story that he won the battle single-handedly is a mere fable.
He combines fact and fable to make a more interesting story.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2025
The Brutalist is a Fitzcarraldo fable of artistic endeavor, a universal immigrant tale and a searing indictment of capitalism
Jones plays opposite Brody as Tóth’s wife, Erzsébet, in an indelible portrait of a woman physically broken by war who remains resolutely unbroken in spirit.
—Wendell Steavenson, Vogue, 5 Jan. 2025
George Varga, The Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2025
Although its moniker may sound odd, Hungry Mother State Park, fabled to be named after a mother searching for food for her child, is one of Virginia’s oldest state parks.
—Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fable 
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Noun
Loading your audio article There’s an old fable about a frog in a boiling pot of water.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2025
The Brutalist is a Fitzcarraldo fable of artistic endeavor, a universal immigrant tale and a searing indictment of capitalism
Jones plays opposite Brody as Tóth’s wife, Erzsébet, in an indelible portrait of a woman physically broken by war who remains resolutely unbroken in spirit.
—Wendell Steavenson, Vogue, 5 Jan. 2025
Verb
Accompanied by a talent-rich group of Brazilian and American instrumentalists that includes keyboardist Herbie Hancock — who had played alongside Shorter in the 1960s as a member of Miles Davis fabled second great quintet — Shorter and Nascimento created something remarkable.
—George Varga, The Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2025
Although its moniker may sound odd, Hungry Mother State Park, fabled to be named after a mother searching for food for her child, is one of Virginia’s oldest state parks.
—Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fable
Dictionary Entries Near fable
Cite this Entry
“Fable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fable. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.
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