parable

[ par-uh-buhl ]

noun

1. a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.

   Synonyms: apologue, homily, allegory

2. a statement or comment that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison, analogy, or the like.

parable

/ ˈpærəbəl; pəˈræbəlɪst /

noun

1. a short story that uses familiar events to illustrate a religious or ethical point parabolicparabolical
2. any of the stories of this kind told by Jesus Christ

Derived Forms

• parabolist, noun

Other Words From

• pa·rab·o·list [p, uh, -, rab, -, uh, -list], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of parable¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English parabil, from Late Latin parabola “allegory, comparison, word,” from Greek parabolḗ “comparison,” from para- para- ¹ + bolḗ “a throw”

Word History and Origins

Origin of parable¹

C14: from Old French parabole, from Latin parabola comparison, from Greek parabolē analogy, from paraballein to throw alongside, from para- ¹+ ballein to throw

Example Sentences

Studying Buddhism, I am a Shaolin disciple and there’s a Shaolin parable about Bodhidharma who migrated from India to China.

From Los Angeles Times

It may be a more instructive parable than he realizes, because Jeffress has been doing everything he can to return to that office ever since.

From Salon

Lauded as a parable about female resistance against patriarchal South Korean society, the novel won the 2016 Man Booker International Prize, an honor shared by Han and her British translator, Deborah Smith.

From Los Angeles Times

At every Latino Youth Leadership Conference, Flores shares a parable about a baby learning to walk.

From Los Angeles Times

Whether or not he meant the parable to be explicit, Adams has cast himself as an honest servant of the people targeted by unseen political actors.

From Salon

Related Words

• fable
• tale