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Literature vocabulary · Genres and Forms

Fable

Meaning in literature, with examples

nounCommon term

In literature, fable means: A short story, often with animal characters, that teaches a clear moral lesson through simple actions and consequences.

In Turkish: fabl

How it is used

Common in children's literature, moral instruction, and literary discussion. It usually ends with or strongly implies a practical lesson.

Example sentences

  1. The textbook includes the crow story as a fable, asking students to discuss the warning against vanity after the final paragraph.

    The term fits because the story is brief, uses symbolic characters, and points readers toward a direct moral judgment.

  2. During editorial review, we cut extra description so the piece would read more like a fable and keep its lesson sharp.

    In this context, the word suggests a compact form where moral clarity matters more than rich detail or psychological depth.

Common collocations

  • Aesop's fables
  • moral fable
  • read a fable
  • genreA category of literature defined by shared features of form, style or subject, such as poetry, drama and the novel, or crime, fantasy and romance.
  • fictionStories, such as novels and short stories, that describe imaginary events and people rather than real ones.

More terms: Genres and Forms

Practise with graded reading

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