A saga is a long story full of dramatic events and adventures, often spanning many years or even generations. The word originally described ancient Norse tales about heroic families and their struggles, but today we use it for any epic story that unfolds over time. The Star Wars saga follows characters across decades and galaxies. A family saga might tell the story of grandparents who immigrated to America, their children who built a business, and their grandchildren who carried on their legacy.

What makes something a saga is the sense of a grand, sweeping narrative where events build on each other and characters face serious challenges that unfold over an extended time. When your teacher assigns a thick novel about a family living through war, revolution, and peace, she might call it a saga. When someone dramatically describes their difficult day as “quite a saga,” they're exaggerating for effect, comparing their minor troubles to an epic tale.

The word can also describe real events. Historians write about the saga of the Apollo space program or the saga of building the transcontinental railroad. In these cases, saga captures how these achievements involved years of effort, setbacks, triumphs, and countless people working toward something larger than themselves.