Adjacent Words

Apologue definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

AP'OLOGUE, n. ap'olog. [Gr. a long speech, a fable.]
A moral fable; a story or relation of fictitious events, intended to convey useful truths. An apologue differs from a parable in this; the parable is drawn from events which pass among mankind, and is therefore supported by probability; an apologue may be founded on supposed actions of brutes or inanimate things, and therefore does not require to be supported by probability. Esop's fables are good examples of apologues.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a short moral story (often with animal characters) [syn: fable, parable, allegory, apologue]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: French, from Latin apologus, from Greek apologos, from apo- + logos speech, narrative Date: circa 1555 an allegorical narrative usually intended to convey a moral

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. a moral fable. Etymology: F apologue or L apologus f. Gk apologos story (as APO-, logos discourse)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Apologue Ap"o*logue, n. [L. apologous, Gr. ?; ? from + ? speech, ? to speak: cf. F. apologue.] A story or relation of fictitious events, intended to convey some moral truth; a moral fable. Note: An apologue differs from a parable in this;: the parable is drawn from events which take place among mankind, and therefore requires probability in the narrative; the apologue is founded on supposed actions of brutes or inanimate things, and therefore is not limited by strict rules of probability. [AE]sop's fables are good examples of apologues.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Fable (founded on the supposed action of brutes or of inanimate things), parable, tale, story. See allegory.