apologue
/'æpəlɔg/
Definition
- Noun:
- A short moral story, often featuring animal characters: An apologue is a brief narrative, typically a fable or allegory, designed to convey a moral lesson or ethical principle. The characters are frequently animals that exhibit human traits.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- Aesop's fables are classic examples of the apologue, teaching virtues through simple animal tales.
- The professor used an apologue about a tortoise and a hare to illustrate the value of perseverance.
Advanced Usage
- As a rhetorical device: In literature and speech, an apologue is employed not just as entertainment but as a persuasive tool to illustrate a complex idea in an accessible, memorable way.
- The politician's speech was built around a powerful apologue, making her argument about community cooperation resonate deeply with the audience.
Variants and Related Words
- Fable (n): A short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral. (Often used synonymously with apologue).
- Allegory (n): A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. (An apologue is a type of allegory).
- Parable (n): A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels. (Similar in function but often with human characters).
Synonyms
- Fable
- Moral tale
- Allegory
- Parable (in a broad sense)
Related Phrases
- To convey a moral: This is the primary function of an apologue.
- The strength of an apologue lies in its ability to convey a moral without direct preaching.
Related Idioms
- A cautionary tale: While not identical, this idiom describes a story that serves as a warning, which is a common purpose of an apologue.
- His life story became an apologue, a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed.
Noun
-
a short moral story (often with animal characters)
