Meaning & use
anecdotes
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“anecdotes” is a form of “anecdote”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountable
Short, often funny stories about real events or people, usually told to entertain or explain a point.
Grammar: Countable noun; the singular is 'anecdote', so you say 'an anecdote' or 'some anecdotes'.
Patterns
- anecdotes about someone/something
- tell/share anecdotes
- swap anecdotes with someone
The speaker began with a few anecdotes about growing up in a small town.
At dinner, my uncle told funny anecdotes about his first job.
Her book is full of anecdotes from years of teaching.
nounpluralinformal
Brief, informal reports or pieces of gossip that may not be completely reliable.
Grammar: Often used in the plural without a number to mean talk or reports rather than stories.
Patterns
- anecdotes about someone
- according to anecdotes
- mere anecdotes
There are anecdotes about the manager's temper, but no proof.
We only have anecdotes, not real data, about what customers want.
Word forms
| singular | anecdote |
|---|
Common combinations
- tell an anecdote
- He told an anecdote about getting lost in Paris.
- a personal anecdote
- She opened her speech with a personal anecdote.
- an amusing anecdote
- The article is full of amusing anecdotes.
- anecdotal evidence
- The claim is based on anecdotal evidence, not studies.
- swap anecdotes
- The old friends swapped anecdotes about their school days.
Synonyms and how they differ
- story
- A general word for any account of events; 'anecdote' is specifically a short, real, often amusing one.
- tale
- Often suggests a longer or more dramatic story, while an anecdote is brief and usually true.
- reminiscence
- A memory of the past, often more personal and less structured than an anecdote.
Word family
- anecdotal adjective
- Based on personal accounts rather than careful research.
- anecdotally adverb
- In a way that relies on personal stories or reports.
Commonly confused: anecdotes or antidote?
anecdotes vs antidote
An 'antidote' is a medicine that stops a poison; an 'anecdote' is a short story. They sound similar but are unrelated.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'anecdotes' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Anecdotes' are short stories, so sharing them about a trip fits. Option A confuses the word with 'antidote', a medicine; option C uses it as a verb, which it is not; option D treats it as a physical object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “anecdotes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.