Noun

Singular episode

Plural episodes

episode (plural episodes)

1. An incident or action standing out by itself, but more or less connected with a complete series of events.

   It was a most embarrassing episode in my life

2. An installment of a drama told in parts, as in a TV series.

   I can't wait till next week’s episode.

Derived terms

• episodic
• episodical

An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars. Episodes of news programs are also known as editions.

Episodes which end in the middle of a climatic moment are often called cliffhangers, after the name used for early movie serials. Such episodes can be nearly daily occurrences in soap operas and are frequently used in season finales of many prime time shows.

Episodes can be part of a larger story arc stretched out over a time period covering one or more seasons, or even an entire series run. This is especially prevalent in dramatic television series, including soap operas or science fiction series. Other genres to feature story arcs include comedies and animated programming, especially mecha anime.