apologue: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2 (Very low frequency; literary/specialised)Formal, Literary
Quick answer
What does “apologue” mean?
A moral fable or allegorical story, often featuring animals or inanimate objects, intended to convey a lesson.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A moral fable or allegorical story, often featuring animals or inanimate objects, intended to convey a lesson.
A didactic narrative or tale in which a clear, instructive truth or moral principle is illustrated through symbolic characters and events.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The word is equally rare and literary in both varieties.
Connotations
Connotes erudition, classical education, and formal literary analysis.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. Might be slightly more encountered in British academic contexts due to historical literary tradition, but the difference is negligible.
Grammar
How to Use “apologue” in a Sentence
[write/compose/craft] an apologuean apologue [illustrates/demonstrates/conveys] [a moral/truth]The [story/tale] serves as an apologue for...Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in literary criticism, classics, and philosophy to categorise a specific type of narrative.
Everyday
Extremely unlikely to be used in everyday conversation.
Technical
A technical term within literary studies and rhetoric.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “apologue”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “apologue”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “apologue”
- Mispronouncing it as /əˈpɒlədʒ/ (like 'apology').
- Using it as a fancy synonym for any story, missing its essential didactic element.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
All three are didactic. 'Fable' is the most common, often with animals. 'Parable' is specifically human and often religious. 'Apologue' is a formal, literary term encompassing both.
No, they are false friends. 'Apology' comes from Greek 'apologia' (defence). 'Apologue' comes from Greek 'apologos' (story).
Almost never in speech. It's useful in academic writing about literature, especially when you need a precise term for a moralistic narrative.
Yes, if the entire work is constructed to illustrate a specific moral or philosophical principle, it can be described as an apologue (e.g., 'Animal Farm', 'The Alchemist').
A moral fable or allegorical story, often featuring animals or inanimate objects, intended to convey a lesson.
Apologue is usually formal, literary in register.
Apologue: in British English it is pronounced /ˈapəlɒɡ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈæpəˌlɔːɡ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to this word.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'APOLOgue' sounds like 'Apollo', the god of knowledge. An APOLOgue is a story from which you GAIN knowledge (a moral).
Conceptual Metaphor
A STORY IS A CONTAINER FOR WISDOM.
Practice
Quiz
What is the PRIMARY purpose of an apologue?