plot line
4
3.2
- noun
- /plɑt laɪn/
:
trama
- Many films feature a plot line that explores themes of love and betrayal.
- the main plot line
- a basic plot line
- different plot lines
It's one of the great plot lines of all time.
- It's one of the great plot lines of all time.
- It's really hard to do an accurate movie and still have interesting plot lines.
- He develops the full complexity of his characters and his plot lines to avoid exaggerated heroicism and simplistic motivation.
- Which of the following One Tree Hill plot lines featuring the show's dad and villain, Dan Scott did we make up?
Examples
-
I loved the fast-paced plot line that could have been ripped from the headlines.
Blog text (33) -
Different plot lines in the same narrative differ from one another in one or more of these factors.
Academic text (2004) -
It's one of the great plot lines of all time.
-
In this way, interest in the character and plot line is maintained.
Academic text (2008) -
Many writers develop one plot line at a time.
Academic text (2010) -
Despite her many detours, of course, Alice always returns to the main plot line.
Academic text (1999) -
As if on cue, the White Rabbit reappears to announce the trial, a key scene in the main plot line.
Academic text (1999) -
Each time out, her stories take aim at the contemporary world, barely concealing political themes beneath riveting plot lines.
Academic text (2009) -
The plot line follows the hero's journey as she discovers her true identity.
-
In this novel, the plot line revolves around a small-town mystery that keeps readers engaged.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
An account of events told to entertain or inform
591
1.0
A story that tells about events, often imaginary, in books or by people
336
3.9
A story that describes connected events
215
2.5
The sequence of events that make up the main story
107
2.8
A series of events in a book, film, or play that form the main plot
9
3.5
A series of events in a story, like in a book or film
How Long
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning of 'plot line' is directly compositional: 'plot' (to draw or represent data on a graph) combined with 'line' (a mark or trace) yields a line that represents plotted values. This follows a common noun-compounding/verb+noun pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Plot line comes from the simple image of drawing a line through the main plot events, like a road that links scenes from the beginning to the end. So, it means the 'main story' or the 'order of events' in a book, play, or film.