English Reference
noun

chronicle

n.
US /ˈkɹɑnɪkəɫ/ UK /kɹˈɒnɪkəl/ chron·i·cle UK spelling chronicled, chronicling

  1. 01 C1 Advanced Formal

    a written record of historical events, usually listed in the order they happened.

    a factual written account of important or historical events in the order of their occurrence.

    Simple

    The monk spent his life writing a chronicle of the king's long reign.

    In context

    The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle serves as a primary source for historians attempting to reconstruct the political landscape of early medieval England.

    Usage

    Often used in titles of historical books or newspapers.

The report chronicled an overall weakening in the federal bodies designed to protect civil rights.

Al Jazeera· 15 Aug 2026

Chronicling the pain of being disbelieved, uprooted and silenced, this powerful, moving contemporary YA novel is also a defiant celebration of love.

The Guardian· 22 May 2026

From Middle English cronicle, cronycle, from Anglo-Norman cronicle, from Old French cronike, from Latin chronica, from Ancient Greek χρονικός (khronikós, “of or concerning time”), from χρόνος (khrónos, “time”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Ancient Greek χρονικός
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated