Epilogue
noun /ˈɛpɪlɒɡ/ — The final word — a brief section after the story's end that tells you what became of things.
Definition
A section or speech at the end of a book or play that serves as a comment on or conclusion to what has happened; a brief final chapter or statement.
Beyond the definition
The epilogue exists for readers who aren't ready to let go. It says: here is what happened after. Some epilogues are satisfying — others, deliberately not. The best ones make you feel the story was true.
Origin & history
From Greek epilogos — conclusion (epi: upon + logos: word). The words that arrive upon the end. What remains to be said after the main thing is said.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The epilogue was set ten years later — the characters older, most of them changed in the ways she'd hoped.
He wrote the epilogue first, knowing exactly where his characters would end, then wrote backward toward it.
Some stories don't need an epilogue — the ending lands perfectly, and any further word would dissolve it.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Epilogue” when the meaning fits your context: A section or speech at the end of a book or play that serves as a comment on or conclusion to what has happened; a brief final chapter or statement.
Synonyms
afterword, postscript, coda, conclusion, envoi
Antonyms
prologue, foreword, introduction
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Artist Mixing Paint Colors
An artist’s palette is covered in swirling, multi-colored pigments that blend into new, subtle shades as the brush moves, representing the transition of media.
An epilogue is a final statement that comments on what has happened. The blending of the pigments at the end of the artistic process represents a final, concluding comment on the colors that have been used, creating a subtle, final shade that reflects back on the entire work, much like a closing statement.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Epilogue" mean?
Epilogue is noun meaning: The final word — a brief section after the story's end that tells you what became of things.. A section or speech at the end of a book or play that serves as a comment on or conclusion to what has happened; a brief final chapter or statement.
Where does the word "Epilogue" come from?
From Greek epilogos — conclusion (epi: upon + logos: word). The words that arrive upon the end. What remains to be said after the main thing is said.