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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

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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

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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

Cardi, however, became the first woman in history to win the Grammy Award for best rap album as a solo artist.

From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2026

It was the first time the Ballon d'Or had been held in London in its 70-year history, with organisers choosing the iconic London Palladium as the venue.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

According to the DRC's figures, 10,060 people have been infected and 4,887 have died since the virus was first detected in May in the vast central African country's deadliest outbreak in its history.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026

The sediments had undergone a complicated history of repeated deposition, burial, exposure, and movement within the Dead Sea rift and the surrounding landscape.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026

I caught a glimpse of the elevator operator who’d been brave enough to risk his own life to save others, and I wondered if history would ever recognize him for the hero he was.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Private lenders, by contrast, may assess credit histories and incomes to determine eligibility as well as interest rates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

The combination of genetic data and medical histories allows researchers to investigate diseases in much greater detail, potentially uncovering important differences that conventional diagnostic methods cannot detect.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

Her podcast “You Must Remember This,” about “the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century,” has spent 21 seasons diving into the intricacies of the movie industry, from lauded stars to undersung production designers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

And for people with certain medical histories, like having an eating disorder, being pregnant or taking a SGLT2 inhibitor, fasting isn’t a good idea.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

And so, she stuck a couple of them between the pages of the histories, and would sneak them out when Mrs. Caruthers was dozing.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland

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Related Words

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

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