history

American  

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

noun

plural

histories

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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Related Words

See narrative.

Other Word Forms

• underhistory noun
• unhistory noun

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

Example Sentences

More than eight million people participated in last weekend’s No Kings protests that took place in all 50 states and at 3,000 locations across the country, making it the largest single-day protest in American history.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

Such a shift is vital at this moment in history, when so much of modern life is designed to ask almost nothing of us.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

This chemical makeup indicates it formed very early in cosmic history, making it one of the oldest stars ever observed.

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026

That’s “the widest spread in history exceeding anything during the tech bubble,” Krinsky said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026

Which meant that over the years, the attempts to alter history had become increasingly more organized and better planned, which made Butterflies that much harder to spot.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

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