backstory
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backstory
- /ˈbækˌstɔːɹi/ UK
- /ˈbækˌstɔɹi/ US
Where it comes from
From back- (prefix meaning ‘in, into, or towards the past’) + story.
noun backstories · back-story · back story
-
The previous experiences and life of a person, specifically (narratology, especially in film, television) a character in a dramatic work.
What’s the backstory of our new colleague?
Similar: background story
-
A fictitious account of a person's history designed to conceal their actual history and motives.
Similar: cover story
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: backdrop, lore, times, story, life story, plot, narrativity, storyline, drama, storyworld, story arc, self-narrative, storyscape, life-telling, real life, past life
Translations
Every language
noun previous experiences and life of a person
| Español | historia de fondo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 뒷이야기 dwisiyagi |
| 日本語 | 背景 haikei, 裏話 urabanashi, バックストーリー bakkusutōrī |
| 中文 | 背景故事 bèijǐng gùshì |
| Português | história de fundo |
| Français | toile de fond |
| Deutsch | Backstory, Hintergrundgeschichte, Vorgeschichte |
| Русский | предысто́рия predystórija |
| العربية | خلفية درامية |
noun fictitious account of a person's history designed to conceal their actual history and motives
| Français | couverture |
|---|---|
| Русский | леге́нда legénda |
Talk about this word "backstory." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/backstory. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. backstory. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/backstory "backstory." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/backstory.Cite this
@misc{backstory_2026,
title = {backstory},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/backstory},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
