parable
[ par-uh-buhl ]
/ ˈpær ə bəl /
noun
a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.
a statement or comment that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison, analogy, or the like.
Origin of parable
1275–1325; Middle English
parabil < Late Latin
parabola comparison, parable, word < Greek
parabolḗ comparison, equivalent to
para-
para-1 +
bolḗ a throwing
OTHER WORDS FROM parable
pa·rab·o·list [puh-rab-uh-list] /pəˈræb ə lɪst/, nounWords nearby parable
parabasal body,
parabasis,
paraben,
parabiosis,
parablast,
parable,
parablepsia,
parables,
parabola,
parabolic,
parabolic aerial
Example sentences from the Web for parables
British Dictionary definitions for parables
parable
/ (ˈpærəbəl) /
noun
a short story that uses familiar events to illustrate a religious or ethical point
Related adjectives: parabolic, parabolical
any of the stories of this kind told by Jesus Christ
Derived forms of parable
parabolist (pəˈræbəlɪst), nounWord Origin for parable
C14: from Old French
parabole, from Latin
parabola comparison, from Greek
parabolē analogy, from
paraballein to throw alongside, from
para-
1 +
ballein to throw
Cultural definitions for parables
parables
In the New Testament, the stories told by Jesus to convey his religious message; they include the parable of the Good Samaritan and that of the Prodigal Son.