oral history

American  

noun

1. information of historical or sociological importance obtained usually by tape-recorded interviews with persons whose experiences and memories are representative or whose lives have been of special significance.

2. a book, article, recording, or transcription of such information.

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oral history British  

noun

1. the memories of living people about events or social conditions which they experienced in their earlier lives taped and preserved as historical evidence

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Other Word Forms

• oral historian
  noun

Etymology

Origin of oral history

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

oral history

“I had to steer the plane exactly as I wanted the picture taken,” Dallin said in a 1969 oral history about his work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

One version of the oral history speaks of a hunter from Gomoa Asin, a royal named Inhune Akubuha.

From BBC ● May 2, 2026

An oral history of how Gyopo, the arts and culture organization in L.A., came to be.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2026

“These bands were doing anthems, and they were talking directly to us,” says David Spero, a radio executive, in “Raised on Radio,” an oral history by Paul Rees.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026

But they have a rich oral history filled with stories about their past that continues to this day.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler