A parable is a short and simple story that teaches a religious or moral lesson. The parable of the Good Samaritan and the parable of the Prodigal Son are just two examples of the many parables attributed to Jesus, as recorded in the four gospels.
- Pronunciation: /'pærəbl/
- English description: a short moral story (often with animal characters)
- Synonyms: allegory
- Chinese Translation: 寓言(yu4 yan2)
- Spanish Translation: la parábola
- ORIGIN: Parable descends from the Greek parabolē "a comparison, analogy," from paraballein "to compare," from the prefix para- "beside" plusballein "to throw." The sense of comparing, or throwing an idea beside another, is at the heart of the word. When you hear a parable, you're meant to use the comparison to learn how to act––the fox's "sour grapes" are compared to your own downgrading of the thing you cannot have.
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
- Figures from the parables — a chameleon, a crane — are projected in light along the floor.
- But there’s no misinterpretation of an interesting quote or parable.
*New word description, story and part of "EXAMPLE SENTENCE" are cited in Vocabulary.com