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

Those victories put "Widow's Bay" in position to become the most awarded comedy series in Emmys history, a record held by last year's best comedy series, Seth Rogen's Hollywood satire "The Studio."

From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026

These and other events have been “insufficiently examined, inadequately narrated, and rarely remembered,” says Mr. Van de Ven, a professor of modern Chinese history at Cambridge University.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

The murkiness of it all clarifies by the end of the film, not just in terms of its heroes, villains and message, but Greengrass also situates this story within a recognizable cinematic and storytelling history.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Werro, who has run three of the five fastest times in history this season, and the fast-improving Broeders-Bol both safely progressed from the other semi-final in first and second respectively.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

Propaganda has been used throughout history by numerous governments, including the United States.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

That impulse to build the future through layered histories mirrors the brand’s approach to place as well, making its next move clearer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Over the years, I have come to understand that we learn our parents’ histories slowly, often in fragments, and sometimes only in retrospect.

From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026

The researchers also had limited information about participants' H. pylori status and family histories of gastric cancer.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

While there have been multiple histories written about the Bush administration, including a good one by the aforementioned Mr. Baker, they didn’t benefit from these oral recollections.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

It has appeared in novels, in films and television shows, in histories of the theft.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Related Words

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