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anecdote
Sign in to saveAn anecdote is "a story with a point", such as to communicate an abstract idea about a person, place, or thing through the concrete details of a short narrative or to characterize by delineating a specific quirk or trait.
An anecdote is a short story told to illustrate a specific point or idea, often using concrete details to convey something abstract about a person, place, or thing. Anecdotes matter because they help communicate ideas in a memorable and relatable way, whether to highlight a particular trait or characteristic.
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Research
22,339 papers- About anecdote.Annals of vascular surgery · 2014Berguer R, Arbor A, MichiganDOI: 10.1016/j.avsg.2014.01.001
- Seeking Evidence Not Anecdote.The Annals of thoracic surgery · 2025Sundt TMDOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2025.08.040
- Commentary: Evidence or anecdote?The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery · 2021Patel VS, Lee RDOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2020.08.040
- From Anecdote to Evidence: The FARES II Trial.Journal of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia · 2025Fabbro M 2nd, Rachiele JDOI: 10.1053/j.jvca.2025.06.030
- Soy peptide as an anecdote to undernutrition.Life metabolism · 2024Mattson MPDOI: 10.1093/lifemeta/loae034
- Medical Cannabis for Pain: Anecdote or Evidence.Journal of pain & palliative care pharmacotherapy · 2017Lipman AGDOI: 10.1080/15360288.2017.1313358
- Food noise: definition, measurement, and future research directions.ReviewNutrition & diabetes · 2025Dhurandhar EJ, Maki KC, Dhurandhar NV et al.DOI: 10.1038/s41387-025-00382-x
- The power of the anecdote.Qualitative health research · 2006Morse JMDOI: 10.1177/1049732306292121
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- Etymology and usage
- As evidence
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An anecdote is "a story with a point", such as to communicate an abstract idea about a person, place, or thing through the concrete details of a short narrative or to characterize by delineating a specific quirk or trait.
Anecdotes may be real or fictional; the anecdotal digression is a common feature of literary works and even oral anecdotes typically involve subtle exaggeration and dramatic shape designed to entertain the listener. An anecdote is always presented as the recounting of a real incident involving actual people and usually in an identifiable place. In the words of Jürgen Hein, they exhibit "a special realism" and "a claimed historical dimension".