history
Americannoun
plural
histories-
the branch of knowledge dealing with past events.
-
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.
-
the aggregate of past events.
-
the record of past events and times, especially in connection with the human race.
-
a past notable for its important, unusual, or interesting events.
a ship with a history.
-
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.
-
a systematic account of any set of natural phenomena without particular reference to time.
a history of the American eagle.
-
a drama representing historical events.
Shakespeare's comedies, histories, and tragedies.
noun
-
-
a record or account, often chronological in approach, of past events, developments, etc
-
( as modifier )
a history book
a history play
-
-
all that is preserved or remembered of the past, esp in written form
-
the discipline of recording and interpreting past events involving human beings
-
past events, esp when considered as an aggregate
-
an event in the past, esp one that has been forgotten or reduced in importance
their quarrel was just history
-
the past, background, previous experiences, etc, of a thing or person
the house had a strange history
-
computing a stored list of the websites that a user has recently visited
-
a play that depicts or is based on historical events
-
a narrative relating the events of a character's life
the history of Joseph Andrews
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At the rate things are going, 2026 will likely be the hottest year in human 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
That’s “the widest spread in history exceeding anything during the tech bubble,” Krinsky said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026
The 37 combined points were the second-fewest in a half in Final Four history.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026
“Hard not to. A lot of interesting history here.”
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
