What does "tale" mean?
A rehearsal of what has occurred; narrative; discourse; statement; history; story.
Tale
/ˈteːl/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A rehearsal of what has occurred; narrative; discourse; statement; history; story.
- Grammar: tale is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: narrative, story, account, adventure.
- Useful contrasts: fact, nonfiction, truth.
- Usage evidence: The little girl was absorbed in reading a fairy tale.
How to use "tale"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tale" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tale" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tale" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tale" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tale" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "narrative" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tale", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A rehearsal of what has occurred; narrative; discourse; statement; history; story.
"the Canterbury Tales"
- 2 Alternative form of tael. alt-of, alternative
- 3 a trivial lie wordnet
- 4 A number told or counted off; a reckoning by count; an enumeration.
"the ignorant, […] who measure by tale, and not by weight"
- 5 a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program wordnet
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 The fraudulent opportunity presented by a confidence man to the mark or victim. slang
- 7 An account of an asserted fact or circumstance; a rumour; a report, especially an idle or malicious story; a piece of gossip or slander; a lie.
"Don't tell tales!"
- 8 Number; tally; quota. obsolete
"And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God."
- 9 Account; estimation; regard; heed. obsolete
- 10 Speech; language. obsolete
- 11 A speech; a statement; talk; conversation; discourse. obsolete
- 12 A count; declaration. obsolete
- 13 A number of things considered as an aggregate; sum. archaic, rare
- 14 A report of any matter; a relation; a version. archaic, rare
"[…] birds […] are aptest by their voice to tell tales what they find; and likewise by the motion of their flight to express the same."
Verb
- 1 To speak; discourse; tell tales. dialectal, obsolete
- 2 To reckon; consider (someone) to have something. Scotland, dialectal
Antonyms
Example
"The little girl was absorbed in reading a fairy tale."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tale"?
Common synonyms include: narrative, story, account, adventure, aggregate, all.
How do you use "tale" in a sentence?
The little girl was absorbed in reading a fairy tale.
How do you pronounce "tale"?
Pronounced /ˈteːl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English tale, from Old English talu (“tale, series, calculation”), from Proto-West Germanic *talu, from Proto-Germanic *talō (“calculation, number”), from Proto-Indo-European *del- (“to reckon, count”). Cognate with West Frisian taal (“speech, language”), Dutch taal (“language, speech”), German Zahl (“number, figure”), Danish tale (“speech”), Icelandic tala (“speech, talk, discourse, number, figure”), Latin dolus (“guile, deceit, fraud”), Ancient Greek δόλος (dólos, “wile, bait”), Albanian ndjell (“to lure”), Northern Kurdish til (“finger”), Old Armenian տող (toł, “row”). Related to tell, talk.
Etymology 2
From Middle English talen, from Old English talian (“to count, calculate, reckon”), from Proto-West Germanic *talōn, from Proto-Germanic *talōną (“to count”), from Proto-Indo-European *del- (“to count, reckon, aim, calculate, adjust”). Cognate with Dutch talen (“to long, care”), German zahlen (“to pay”), Swedish tala (“to speak, talk”), Icelandic tala (“to talk”).