chronicle

1 of 2

noun

chron·​i·​cle ˈkrä-ni-kəl How to pronounce chronicle (audio)
Synonyms of chronicle
1
: a historical account of events arranged in order of time usually without analysis or interpretation
a chronicle of the Civil War
2
: narrative sense 1
a chronicle of the struggle against drug traffickers

chronicle

2 of 2

verb

chronicled; chronicling ˈkrä-ni-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce chronicle (audio)

transitive verb

: to present a record of in or as if in a chronicle
chronicle Victorian society
chronicle the doings of the rich and famous
chronicler
ˈkrä-ni-k(ə-)lər How to pronounce chronicle (audio)
noun

Synonyms of chronicle

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Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of chronicle in a Sentence

Noun a chronicle of the American Civil War a chronicle of the President's years in office Verb The book chronicles the events that led to the American Civil War. She intends to chronicle the broad social changes that have occurred in this part of the country. a magazine that chronicles the lives of the rich and famous
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In the meantime, Pennsylvania officials’ social media feeds have become a running chronicle of shootings in the state, from Philadelphia to Erie. — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026 The songs on After the Storm chronicle that turbulent season. — Deborah Evans Price, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
From a book chronicling a legendary Auburn football season to the Thunderbirds roaring back into Mather, Sacramento-area readers have plenty to track this Friday. — Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026 The series chronicles the rise of Norse raiders Erik Bloodaxe (Xavier Molyneux) and his wife Gunnhild, Mother of Kings (Jessica Madsen). — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chronicle

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cronycle, borrowed from Anglo-French cronike, cronicle (-le perhaps by assimilation to words with the suffix -icle, as article article entry 1), borrowed from Latin chronica "book of annals," borrowed from Greek (tà) chroniká, (hai) chronikaí, from plural of chronikós "of time, temporal, in order by time" (with a noun such as biblía "books" or graphaí "writings" understood) — more at chronic

Verb

Middle English cronyclen, verbal derivative of cronycle chronicle entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chronicle was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing chronicle

Rhymes for chronicle

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Browse Nearby Words

chronicity
chronicle
chronicle drama
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Cite this Entry

“Chronicle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chronicle. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

chronicle

1 of 2 noun
chron·​i·​cle ˈkrän-i-kəl How to pronounce chronicle (audio)
: an account of events in the order of their happening : history

chronicle

2 of 2 verb
chronicled; chronicling -k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce chronicle (audio)
: to present a record of in or as if in a chronicle
chronicle the major events of last year
chronicler
-k(ə-)lər How to pronounce chronicle (audio)
noun
Etymology

Noun

Middle English cronicle "chronicle," from early French chronique (same meaning), derived from Greek chronikos, "of time," from chronos "time" — related to anachronism, chronic, synchronous

More from Merriam-Webster on chronicle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chronicle

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