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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

Senator Rafael Filizzola said: "We are facing the biggest corruption scandal in our democratic history – a tremendous blow to the state, to private citizens, and to the country's credibility and image."

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

That project, the author writes, became “the most ambitious and arduous undertaking” in American history.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

“We limit our greatness as a nation,” she argues, “if we think a sanitized history is of any use to anyone!”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

But more than that, I had a feeling that going to see The Chicks on this night, of all nights, might mean witnessing the greatest display of “libbing out” in U.S. history.

From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2026

You see, Frabwick was the most common name in the history of bears, which meant this visitor had come from a long, proud line.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

The researchers combined California's detailed pesticide application records with participants' residential and workplace address histories.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

Many neoclouds started out as cryptocurrency mining outfits, and most of them have scant histories operating AI infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

But long before dark lip liner and “corporate goth” viral looks splashed across our social media feeds, the macabre was woven into the cultural histories of Latine people.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

In July 2026, detentions of immigrants with criminal histories reached an all-time low of 27%.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

I had come to believe that the ability to evaluate many ideas, many histories, many points of view, was at the heart of what it means to self-create.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

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Related Words

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

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