noun
parable
PARUH-buhl
noun
1
A short story used to teach a moral or spiritual lesson through comparison.
"The parable of the Good Samaritan teaches compassion for strangers."
"The teacher used a simple parable to explain honesty to the children."
How to Use Parable
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA short illustrative story, often with a moral or religious point, told to make an idea easier to grasp.
Common pairings
a biblical parable
tell a parable
Word Forms
more parable comparative, parabled past tense, parables plural, parables singular, most parable superlative
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The _____ of the Good Samaritan teaches compassion for strangers.
Etymology
From Greek parabole ("comparison") via Latin and Old French — a doublet of "parabola" and "palaver."