character arc

noun

The transformation or inner journey of a character over the course of a story.

“The transformation of William Shakespeare's Prince Hamlet from a young scholarly prince full of promise into a melancholic brooder after his father's death is an example of a character arc.”

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Meanings

nouncharacter arc (plural character arcs)

plural character arcs

  1. The transformation or inner journey of a character over the course of a story.

    The transformation of William Shakespeare's Prince Hamlet from a young scholarly prince full of promise into a melancholic brooder after his father's death is an example of a character arc.

Origin

Compound of character + arc.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 成長 /成长
  • 成長 /成长 (chéngzhǎng)Translations
Spanish arco de personaje
  • arco de personajeTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

character arc. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/character%20arc

MLA

“character arc.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/character%20arc. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “character arc,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/character%20arc.

Source: character arc on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.