backstory

See also: back-story and back story

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

back +‎ story

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈbækˌstɔːɹi/
    • Audio (UK)(file)

Noun

backstory (plural backstories)

  1. The previous life and experiences of a person, especially a character in a dramatic work, but also a real-life person.
    Coordinate term: exposition
    • 2004 January 16, Kelly Kleiman, “Her Side of the Story”, in Chicago Reader‎:
      These backstories cast the characters' behavior in a new light: of course Gertrude would promptly marry the man who saved her from abuse; of course Ophelia would be desperate and indiscreet in seeking Hamlet's love.
    • 2012, Craig Batty, Screenplays & how to write & sell them, Oldcastle Books, →ISBN:
      A core element of understanding inner character is backstory. In other words, where's your character come from? What's happened to them in the past that's affecting who—and how—they are now?
    • 2017 December 27, “The Guardian view on Prince Harry: the monarchy’s best insurance policy”, in the Guardian‎:
      Prince Harry may yet turn out to be the crown’s best insurance policy. By marrying Meghan Markle, he is linking royalty with a 21st-century celebrity who has a backstory that many people in Britain can identify with.
  2. A fictitious account of a person's history designed to conceal their actual history and motives.
    Synonym: cover story
  3. A prequel.

Translations

Further reading
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