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Synonyms

natural history

American  

noun

  1. the sciences, as botany, mineralogy, or zoology, dealing with the study of all objects in nature: used especially in reference to the beginnings of these sciences in former times.

  2. the study of these sciences.


natural history British  

noun

  1. the study of animals and plants in the wild state

  2. the study of all natural phenomena

  3. the sum of these phenomena in a given place or at a given time

    the natural history of Iran

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

natural history Scientific  
  1. The study and description of living things and natural objects, especially their origins, evolution, and relationships to one another. Natural history includes the sciences of zoology, mineralogy, geology, and paleontology.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of natural history

First recorded in 1560–70

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.

The study highlights the lasting importance of natural history collections.

From Science Daily • May 26, 2026

"It's an interesting one because it was the first natural history entirely devoted to addressing climate change," Dr Gouyon says.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

Attenborough's natural history series, such as "Life on Earth", in which he had a famous encounter with mountain gorillas in Rwanda, have brought the most remote corners of the planet into living rooms worldwide.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

Across the street, we visited Vittorio Costantini’s glass studio, equal parts gallery and natural history museum.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

Before the voyage, Charles had been a typical natural history collector.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman

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