Words / C1

AN-ikd-oht/ˈænɪkdəʊt/

An anecdote is a short, interesting story about a real incident, used to illustrate a point. Story is everyday and can be fiction; example is drier. Anecdotal evidence is a set academic warning — vivid, not proof — and anecdotal is the adjective. In a talk, one anecdote can open a door, but a string of them can replace an argument; in speech, a little story is enough.

Meaning

A short, interesting story about a real event.

Examples

• “He opened the talk with a short anecdote.”
• “He used an anecdote from his first year to show why feedback matters.”
• “Anecdotal reports of progress are not the same as a trial.”

Good to know

an anecdote about + event. Adjective: anecdotal (often “not hard evidence”). Everyday: a little true story.

Near in meaning

story

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