Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The final resolution or clarification of a dramatic or narrative plot.
  • noun The events following the climax of a drama or novel in which such a resolution or clarification takes place.
  • noun The outcome of a sequence of events; the end result.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Alternative spelling of dénouement.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French dénouement, from Old French desnouement, an untying, from desnouer, to undo : des-, de- + nouer, to tie (from Latin nōdāre, from nōdus, knot; see ned- in Indo-European roots).]

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Examples

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  • I think it is unfortunate that dénouement has only six citations, while the word without the accent has 65.

    June 6, 2008