history

American  

[his-tuh-ree, his-tree] / ˈhɪs tə ri, ˈhɪs tri /

noun

• histories
  plural

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.

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history British  

/ ˈhɪstrɪ, ˈhɪstərɪ /

noun

1. 1. a record or account, often chronological in approach, of past events, developments, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a history book

      a history play

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

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history Idioms  

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

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Synonym Usage

See narrative.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• underhistory
  noun
• unhistory
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• histories
  plural

Etymology

Origin of history

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

Explanation

A history is a chronicle of events, like the history of the United States’ mission to put a man on the moon, or the world history class that you have to memorize all those dates for. History is a noun to describe past events, or an account of something, like the history of New York City. When you describe something as having a history, you’re implying it has an intriguing past. For example, a necklace that’s been passed down through generations has a history. But when you say something's history, what you mean is not that it no longer exists. Your fear of the water is history now that you know how to swim.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

history histories

And developing, producing and maintaining the F-35 is anticipated to require $2 trillion, making it the DOD’s most expensive weapon system in history, according to the GAO.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

“My sense of her was someone who was really serious about her writing and had a very close relationship with Toni Morrison,” Dubois, now a history professor at the University of Virginia, said of Scott.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

"It depends on the ability and the history of those players," Arteta said.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

German football has a strong history of fan activism, with regular protests launched in recent seasons against match starting times and investment deals.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

“I’ve never been to China myself—born and raised here in California—but I’d love to go someday, and in the meantime I’m keen to collect pieces from there. So many centuries of history and culture!”

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Families have been left with questions about who their children's real donors are and their medical histories.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

They introduce viewers to the people, histories and communities behind a dish, proving what the best food journalists have always known: people don’t just fall in love with dishes, they fall in love with stories.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

The local-device tool doesn’t maintain or share extensive query histories.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

These kinds of investigators often use public records, databases, address histories and people-finder services.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

The greater families were also concerned with events in the Kingdom at large, and many of their members studied its ancient histories and legends.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

Related Words

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