# anecdote

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈæn.ɪkˌdəʊt/ · frequency rank #22,285

## Definitions
1. A short account of a real incident or person, often humorous or interesting.
2. An account which supports an argument, but which is not supported by scientific or statistical analysis.
3. A previously untold secret account of an incident.

## Etymology
Late 17ᵗʰ c., from French anecdote, from Ancient Greek ἀνέκδοτος (anékdotos, “accounts unpublished”), from ἀν- (an-, “not, un-”) + ἔκδοτος (ékdotos, “published”), from ἐκδίδωμι (ekdídōmi, “I publish”), from ἐκ- (ek-, “out”) + δίδωμι (dídōmi, “I give”).
Virtually identical cognates in other European languages – French anecdote, German Anekdote, Spanish anécdota, among others.

## Easily confused with
- **antidote** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/anecdote-vs-antidote)
- **anecdotes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/anecdote-vs-anecdotes)
- **anecdotal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/anecdotal-vs-anecdote)

## Common misspellings (11)
`aencdote`, `ancedote`, `aneccdote`, `anecddote`, `anecdoet`, `anecdotte`, `anecdtoe`, `anecodte`, `anedcote`, `annecdote`, `naecdote`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/anecdote