backstory

See also: back-story and back story

Contents

EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

• back story
• back-story

EtymologyEdit

back +‎ story

NounEdit

backstory (plural backstories)

1. The previous life and experiences of a character in a dramatic work.
   • 2004 January 16, Kelly Kleiman, “Her Side of the Story”, in Chicago Reader^[1]:

     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.

   • A fictitious account of a person's history designed to conceal their actual history and motives; a cover story.
2. A prequel.

TranslationsEdit

previous life and experiences of a fictional character

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 背景故事 (bèijǐng gùshì)

• Finnish: taustatarina
• French: toile de fond (fr)
• German: Hintergrundgeschichte, Backstory

• Japanese: 裏話 (うらばなし, urabanashi)
• Korean: 뒷이야기 (dwidiyagi)
• Malay: latar tempat
• Spanish: historia de fondo
• Swedish: bakgrundshistoria, bakgrundsberättelse

prequel