narrate

Narrate is a verb that means to give a spoken or written account of something; to tell a story; or to provide narration in a film, documentary, or other media. It is typically transitive, taking a direct object such as narrate a tale, narrate the events, or narrate the action. In literature, narrate refers to the act of the narrator presenting the story to the reader, potentially in first person or third person.

Etymology and related forms: narrate comes from the Latin narrare, “to tell, relate,” related to the noun narrative. Related forms include narration (the act of narrating), narrator (one who narrates), narrating (present participle), and narrated (past). In discourse, narrate may imply guiding the audience through a sequence with commentary, though it does not inherently require descriptive detail.

Distinctions and usage: narrate emphasizes telling a sequence of events or a storyline, often with a sense of progression. Recount focuses more on retelling what happened, sometimes concentrating on accuracy or completeness. Describe emphasizes detailing sensory or characteristic features rather than the orderly narration of events. In media contexts, narration is often delivered by a voiceover or on-screen commentator and may accompany or replace visible action.

Examples: She will narrate the documentary. The grandmother narrates the family gathering with humorous asides. The novel uses a first-person narrator who narrates the events as they unfold.