Meanings
plural story arcs
- human sciencesThe chronological construction of a plot or storyline, especially one specific to a particular character or plot aspect; an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television or comic books.
This story arc about "hunting the buffalo" is part of a larger story arc about "developing relationships with the Indians".
1992, Linda Seger, The Art of Adaptation: Turning Fact and Fiction into Film1 more example
A story arc can be developed continuously until it is completed, but it is more usual for a drama series to treat a story arc discontinuously...
2005, David Schmid, Natural Born Celebrities: Serial Killers in American CultureSynonyms: narrative arc
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe chronological construction of a plot or storyline, especially one specific to a particular character or plot aspect; an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television or comic books.
Origin
Translations
Arabic مُنْعَطَف القِصَّة, تَسَلْسُل أَحْدَاث
- مُنْعَطَف القِصَّة (munʕaṭaf al-qiṣṣa)narrative line within a fictional plot
- تَسَلْسُل أَحْدَاث (tasalsul ʔaḥdāṯ)narrative line within a fictional plot
Chinese Mandarin 故事弧, 劇情綫 /剧情线
- 故事弧 (gùshìhú)narrative line within a fictional plot
- 劇情綫 /剧情线 (jùqíngxiàn)narrative line within a fictional plot
- 情節綫 /情节线 (qíngjiéxiàn)narrative line within a fictional plot
Esperanto rakontarko
- rakontarkonarrative line within a fictional plot
Finnish tarinakaari, juoni
- tarinakaarinarrative line within a fictional plot
- juoninarrative line within a fictional plot
French arc narratif
- arc narratifnarrative line within a fictional plot
Italian arco narrativo
- arco narrativonarrative line within a fictional plot
Japanese 編, アーク
- 編 (hen)narrative line within a fictional plot
- アーク (āku)narrative line within a fictional plot
Korean 스토리 아크
- 스토리 아크 (seutori akeu)narrative line within a fictional plot
Polish akcja
- akcjanarrative line within a fictional plot
Portuguese arco de história
- arco de histórianarrative line within a fictional plot
Russian сюже́тная ли́ния, сюже́тная а́рка
- сюже́тная ли́ния (sjužétnaja línija)narrative line within a fictional plot
- сюже́тная а́рка (sjužétnaja árka)narrative line within a fictional plot
Spanish arco narrativo, arco argumental
- arco narrativonarrative line within a fictional plot
- arco argumentalnarrative line within a fictional plot
Swedish båge
- bågenarrative line within a fictional plot
Cite this entry
story arc. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/story%20arc
“story arc.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/story%20arc. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “story arc,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/story%20arc.
Source: story arc on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.