Use parable for a brief teaching story, especially one with a moral or spiritual point rather than pure entertainment.
Use parable for a brief teaching story, especially one with a moral or spiritual point rather than pure entertainment.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The parable are interesting. | The parables are interesting. |
| He wrote a parable about talking foxes and birds. | He wrote a fable about talking foxes and birds. |
| The joke was a funny parable with no lesson. | The joke was a funny story with no lesson. |
| One sentence comparing love to fire is a parable. | One sentence comparing love to fire is a metaphor. |
Use parable in this extended sense when a real situation seems to offer a broader lesson.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The news article was a parable because it listed election results. | The news article reported election results. |
| She called the spreadsheet a parable of quarterly sales. | She called the spreadsheet a report on quarterly sales. |
| The recipe became a parable about soup. | The recipe was an example of how to make soup. |
| A random delay is always a parable. | A random delay is not a parable unless it suggests a lesson. |
Use parable when a story or real event is being read for its lesson, not merely for plot or information.
A short story without a moral point is not automatically a parable.
From Middle English parable, borrowed from Anglo-French and Old French, from Late Latin parabola, from Greek parabolē, meaning comparison or setting side by side.
What is a parable?
A parable is a short story that teaches a moral or religious lesson.
How is a parable different from a fable?
A fable often uses animals or clearly imaginary figures, while a parable usually uses ordinary human situations to teach a lesson.
Can a real event be called a parable?
Yes. A real event can be called a parable when it seems to offer an instructive moral lesson.
Is a parable the same as an allegory?
No. An allegory often maps many details to hidden meanings, while a parable is usually simpler and focused on one lesson.
Are parables always religious?
Parables are often religious, especially in the Bible, but they can also teach secular moral lessons.
What is the plural of parable?
The plural is parables.
Where does parable come from?
Parable comes through French and Latin from Greek parabolē, meaning comparison.