ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ARC

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɑɹk// UK //ˈɑːk// arc Archaic Slang

n. the way a story or a person develops over time. You use this to describe how a character changes from the beginning to the end of a movie or book.

n. the chronological development or progression of a narrative or character trajectory. Often used in literary and cinematic criticism to describe the transformation of a protagonist.


SIMPLE

The main character has a very emotional story arc.

CONTEXTUAL

Critics felt the villain's redemption arc was too rushed to be believable in the final season.

COMPLEX

The screenplay succeeds because it balances a complex political plot with a deeply personal character arc that resonates with the audience's own experiences of loss.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

An abbreviation.

Etymology 2

From Spanish ARC.

Usage

Commonly paired with 'character' or 'story' to describe narrative structure.

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