anecdote

Everyday

1. A short, interesting or funny story about a real event or person. tree →
2. (formal) A story from one person's experience used as evidence, which may not be true in general. tree →

In the lessons

In speaking and writing lessons pupils learn to start a talk with an anecdote to catch interest. In science, «anecdotal evidence» (one person's story) is weaker than a proper test with many cases. Phrases: «tell an anecdote», «a funny anecdote», «anecdotal evidence».

Examples

• Grandad told us an anecdote about his first day at school. tree →
• The speaker began with a funny anecdote about her dog. tree →
• Write an anecdote about a time you were surprised. tree →
• One anecdote is not enough to prove that a medicine works. tree →
• His speech was full of anecdotes about the team. tree →
• That's just anecdotal — we need real data. tree →
• These are very few in number, and generally bear the character of anecdotes. tree →

Note

Countable, use «an»: an anecdote. Do not confuse with «antidote», a medicine that stops poison. Stress: AN-ec-dote.