noun
backstory
BAK-staw-ree
noun
1
The background history of a person or character that explains who they are and why they act as they do, even though it isn't shown directly.
"The film reveals the villain's backstory in a flashback halfway through."
"Every character in the novel has a rich backstory that shapes their choices."
2
A made-up personal history someone tells others to hide their real past or intentions.
"The con artist had invented an elaborate backstory to gain his victims' trust."
How to Use Backstory
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe history behind a person, character, or situation that explains how things got to where they are now.
Common pairings
tragic backstory
reveal the backstory
character's backstory
Word Forms
backstories plural
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The film reveals the villain's _____ in a flashback halfway through.
Etymology
From back- (meaning "toward the past") combined with story — literally the story behind the current one.