donnée means A given; in a literary work, that which is assumed as to characters, situation, etc., as a basis for the plot or story.
donnée is pronounced /ˈdɒneɪ/.
Why “donnée” is a great word
A basic assumption, fact, or set of conditions taken for granted and serving as the foundation for a literary work, argument, or situation. From French 'donnée', the feminine past participle of 'donner' ("to give"), meaning "a given thing." Unlike a "premise," which provides a logical proposition from which a narrative unfolds, or a "convention," which denotes a genre-wide customary practice, a donnée is the raw, non-negotiable gift—the one strange seed from which the entire fictional tree must grow. It is the ghost that walks the battlements of Elsinore before a word is spoken, the inherited fortune that makes a marriage plot possible, or the unshakable belief that a man could wake one morning transformed into a monstrous insect. This is the author's first fiat, the quiet surrender we make to enter a world not our own.
noun
- A given; in a literary work, that which is assumed as to characters, situation, etc., as a basis for the plot or story.e.g.“We must grant the artist his subject, his idea, what the French call his donnée; our criticism is applied only to what he makes of it.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- presuppose 83% match — To assume some truth without proof, usually for the purpose of reaching a conclusion based on that truth. vs donnée →
- postulate 82% match — Something assumed without proof as being self-evident or generally accepted, especially when used as a basis for an argument. Sometimes distinguished from axioms as being relevant to a particular science or context, rather than universally true, and following from other axioms rather than being an absolute assumption. vs donnée →
- axiom 81% match — A seemingly self-evident or necessary truth which is based on assumption; a principle or proposition which cannot actually be proved or disproved. vs donnée →
- inference 80% match — The act or process of inferring by deduction or induction. vs donnée →
- backstory 80% match — The previous experiences and life of a person, specifically (narratology, especially in film, television) a character in a dramatic work. vs donnée →
- verisimilitude 80% match — The property of seeming true, of resembling reality; resemblance to reality. vs donnée →
- motif 79% match — A recurring or dominant element; an artistic theme. vs donnée →
- dénouement 79% match — The conclusion or resolution of a plot; unravelling. vs donnée →