history

[ his-tuh-ree, his-tree ]

noun

, plural his·to·ries.

1. the branch of knowledge dealing with past events.
2. a continuous, systematic narrative of past events as relating to a particular people, country, period, person, etc., usually written as a chronological account; chronicle:

   a history of France;

   a medical history of the patient.

   Synonyms: annals, record

3. the aggregate of past events.
4. the record of past events and times, especially in connection with the human race.
5. a past notable for its important, unusual, or interesting events:

   a ship with a history.

6. acts, ideas, or events that will or can shape the course of the future; immediate but significant happenings:

   Firsthand observers of our space program see history in the making.

7. a systematic account of any set of natural phenomena without particular reference to time:

   a history of the American eagle.

8. a drama representing historical events:

   Shakespeare's comedies, histories, and tragedies.

history

/ ˈhɪstrɪ; ˈhɪstərɪ /

noun

1. 1. a record or account, often chronological in approach, of past events, developments, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      a history play

      a history book

2. all that is preserved or remembered of the past, esp in written form
3. the discipline of recording and interpreting past events involving human beings
4. past events, esp when considered as an aggregate
5. an event in the past, esp one that has been forgotten or reduced in importance

   their quarrel was just history

6. the past, background, previous experiences, etc, of a thing or person

   the house had a strange history

7. computing a stored list of the websites that a user has recently visited
8. a play that depicts or is based on historical events
9. a narrative relating the events of a character's life

   the history of Joseph Andrews

Other Words From

• under·histo·ry noun plural underhistories
• un·histo·ry noun plural unhistories

Word History and Origins

Origin of history¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English historie, from Latin historia, from Greek historía “learning or knowing by inquiry, history”; derivative of hístōr “one who knows or sees; learned”; akin to wit ², video, Veda

Word History and Origins

Origin of history¹

C15: from Latin historia, from Greek: enquiry, from historein to narrate, from histōr judge

Idioms and Phrases

see ancient history ; go down (in history) ; make history ; (history) repeats itself .

Synonym Study

See narrative.

Example Sentences

Lately I’ve been reading a lot of history.

From Los Angeles Times

I started reading a lot of Roman history.

From Los Angeles Times

More baby boomers reached 60 with “a relatively intact dentition at that age than any generation in history,” the CDC says.

From Los Angeles Times

Chen’s findings were heavily based on a government study with a checkered research history.

From Los Angeles Times

In George Orwell’s classic depiction of an authoritarian society, “Nineteen Eighty-four,” a key component of political control is the state’s erasure of history: “Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten … every date has been altered. … After the thing is done, no evidence ever remains.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• account
• annals
• biography
• record
• relation
• story
• tale