backstory
/ˈbækˌstɔɹi/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.14 in modern English
20
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The previous experiences and life of a person, specifically (narratology, especially in film, television) a character in a dramatic work.
noun
A fictitious account of a person's history designed to conceal their actual history and motives.
Example Sentences
- "What’s the backstory of our new colleague?"
- "These backstories cast the characters' behavior in a new light: of course Gertrude would promptly marry the man who saved her from abuse; of course Ophelia would be desperate and indiscreet in seeking Hamlet's love."
- "Inexplicably, and at great risk to the integrity of the movie, the filmmakers have burdened him with a psychological back story pulled out of a folder in some studio filing cabinet. Why does [Willy] Wonka spend his days confecting sweets?"
- "Agent Lyla: Enough back story! / Dr. Doofenshmirtz: Actually, that's not, uh … that's not really a back story, it's just expositional flashback. It doesn't, uh, have any childhood trauma, it's doesn't really inform who he is, it's not … it's just flashback. There's a difference. It's subtle, but there's a difference."
- "Prince Harry may yet turn out to be the crown’s best insurance policy. By marrying Meghan Markle, he is linking royalty with a 21st-century celebrity who has a backstory that many people in Britain can identify with."
Etymology
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈbækˌstɔɹi/
- British English: /ˈbækˌstɔːɹi/
Inflected Forms
Frequently Paired Words
Synonyms
background story
cover story