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Synonyms

natural history

American  

noun

  • natural histories
    plural
  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.


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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.

See Examples For:

Since Diplodocus was first discovered in the United States in 1878, casts of its skeleton have appeared in major natural history museums around the world, particularly during the early 20th century.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

"This international collaboration to support the last remaining individual could prevent the extinction of a species that represents a unique lineage with its own natural history," he said.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Their models were built from fossils preserved in natural history museums around the world.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026

"The United States is the only country in the world where fossils like this are considered personal property," Cassandra Hatton, head of science and natural history at Sotheby's, told AFP before the auction.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

We step off the elevator, and a man with an impressive double pretzel-loop on top of his head points at us, like we’re some sort of exhibit at the museum of natural history.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

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