oral history

American  

noun

1. information of historical or sociological importance obtained usually by tape-recorded interviews with persons whose experiences and memories are representative or whose lives have been of special significance.

2. a book, article, recording, or transcription of such information.

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oral history British  

noun

1. the memories of living people about events or social conditions which they experienced in their earlier lives taped and preserved as historical evidence

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Other Word Forms

• oral historian
  noun

Etymology

Origin of oral history

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

oral history

“When I got the result it was the most exciting moment that I’d ever had in science in my life,” he recalled in a Caltech oral history interview in 1993.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

“One might look at an org chart and underestimate her role and influence,” Warsh said in a 2020 oral history, recalling the predawn calls they shared with Bernanke at the height of the 2008-09 crisis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

One version of the oral history speaks of a hunter from Gomoa Asin, a royal named Inhune Akubuha.

From BBC ● May 2, 2026

“These bands were doing anthems, and they were talking directly to us,” says David Spero, a radio executive, in “Raised on Radio,” an oral history by Paul Rees.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026

As she prepares dinner, I try to finalize the edits to my oral history project, but Mom finishes cooking before I’m done.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh