noun

epilogue

/ˈɛpɪlɔɡ/ · say it: EP·uh·lawg

a concluding section after the main story ends

In more detail

1. (noun) a short section at the end of a book or play that provides additional information about what happens after the main story ends

2. (noun) a speech addressed to the audience at the end of a play

Examples

1. The epilogue revealed that the main character became a successful doctor twenty years later.
2. The actor stepped forward to deliver the epilogue, thanking the audience for their attention.

How to use epilogue

An epilogue is a concluding section that wraps up loose ends or updates the reader/audience on events after the main narrative concludes. It differs from a conclusion in that it typically occurs after the formal ending and provides additional perspective or resolution rather than simply summarizing what came before. Used in both literary and dramatic contexts.

Common phrases

epilogue reveals
epilogue explains
brief epilogue
final epilogue
written epilogue
in the epilogue

Synonyms

conclusion · afterword · postscript · coda · ending

Opposites

prologue · preface · introduction

Word family

epiogue (adj.) · epilogic · epilogist

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse epilogue with prologue (which comes at the beginning) or treat it as simply another word for 'ending' rather than a distinct structural element that occurs after the story's primary resolution.

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