episode

noun

ep·​i·​sode ˈe-pə-ˌsōd How to pronounce episode (audio)
also
-ˌzōd How to pronounce episode (audio)
Synonyms of episodenext
1
: a usually brief unit of action in a dramatic or literary work: such as
a
: the part of an ancient Greek tragedy between two choric songs
b
: a developed situation that is integral to but separable from a continuous narrative : incident
c
: one of a series of loosely connected stories or scenes
d
: the part of a serial presented at one performance
2
: an event that is distinctive and separate although part of a larger series
3
: a digressive subdivision in a musical composition

Synonyms of episode

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occurrence, event, incident, episode, circumstance mean something that happens or takes place.

occurrence may apply to a happening without intent, volition, or plan.

an encounter that was a chance occurrence

event usually implies an occurrence of some importance and frequently one having antecedent cause.

the events following the assassination

incident suggests an occurrence of brief duration or secondary importance.

a minor wartime incident

episode stresses the distinctiveness or apartness of an incident.

a brief romantic episode in a life devoted to work

circumstance implies a specific detail attending an action or event as part of its setting or background.

couldn't recall the exact circumstances

Examples of episode in a Sentence

It was a brief romantic episode in a life devoted to work. He tried to forget the whole embarrassing episode. a painful episode from my childhood Millions of people are expected to watch the show's final episode.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The reason for this visit was to film an episode of Wing's Arkansas's Great Outdoors television program. — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026 Unlike with its other shows, Netflix posts the new episodes before adding subtitles in other languages, to avoid adding translators into the inner sanctum. — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026 For the historic 500th episode of Gameday at LSU, Tigers fans did not hold back. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026 The episode, which began in May and has not previously been reported, underscores growing tension within the AI industry. — Reuters, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for episode

Word History

Etymology

Greek epeisodion, from neuter of epeisodios coming in besides, from epi- + eisodios coming in, from eis into (akin to Greek en in) + hodos road, journey — more at in

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of episode was in 1678

Phrases Containing episode

Rhymes for episode

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Browse Nearby Words

episkeletal
episode
episodic
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Cite this Entry

“Episode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/episode. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

episode

noun
ep·​i·​sode ˈep-ə-ˌsōd How to pronounce episode (audio)
: an event that is part of a longer story or of history or a life but which is viewed as complete by itself
episodic
ˌep-ə-ˈsäd-ik
adjective

Medical Definition

episode

noun
ep·​i·​sode
ˈep-ə-ˌsōd also -ˌzōd
: an event that is distinctive and separate although part of a larger series
especially : an occurrence of a usually recurrent pathological abnormal condition
a manic episode
hypoglycemic episodes
episodic
ˌep-ə-ˈsäd-ik also -ˈzäd-
adjective
episodically
-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce episode (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on episode

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about episode

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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