history
noun
his·to·ry
ˈhi-st(ə-)rē 
plural histories
2
a
: a chronological record of significant events (such as those affecting a nation or institution) often including an explanation of their causes
a history of Japan
b
: a treatise presenting systematically related natural phenomena (as of geography, animals, or plants)
an illustrated history of North American birds
c
: an account of a patient's medical background
reviewing her medical history
d
: an established record
a prisoner with a history of violence
3
: a branch of knowledge that records and explains past events
medieval history
4
a
: events that form the subject matter of a history
the history of space exploration
b
: events of the past
History has shown that such efforts rarely succeed.
c
: one that is finished or done for
the winning streak was history
you're history
d
: previous treatment, handling, or experience (as of a metal)
a history of repeated exposure to freezing temperatures
Examples of history in a Sentence
I studied history in college.
a professor of medieval history
They were one of the greatest teams in history.
It was one of the most destructive storms in modern history.
It was a period in American history when most people lived and worked on farms.
The history of space exploration is a fascinating topic.
He wrote a well-known history of the British empire.
The book begins with a brief history of the Internet.
Recent Examples on the Web
Boston 25 News reported that Brown has a criminal history spanning nearly two decades, citing court records tied to a man with the same name and date of birth that include prior firearm and drug convictions.
—
Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 12 May 2026
For schoolteachers, this is worse than whiplash, because there’s a crucial difference between the American-history-is-all-bad or -all-good preferences of the left or the right.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 12 May 2026
Cummins, who worked as a senior vice president at Serco, a government contractor that works with local and federal agencies, would take over a TSA bruised by the longest partial government shutdown in history, which ended late last month.
—Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
The Hoosiers’ win completed one of the greatest turnaround stories in sports history.
—Antonio Morales, New York Times, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for history
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 12 May 2026
For schoolteachers, this is worse than whiplash, because there’s a crucial difference between the American-history-is-all-bad or -all-good preferences of the left or the right.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 12 May 2026
Cummins, who worked as a senior vice president at Serco, a government contractor that works with local and federal agencies, would take over a TSA bruised by the longest partial government shutdown in history, which ended late last month.
—Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
The Hoosiers’ win completed one of the greatest turnaround stories in sports history.
—Antonio Morales, New York Times, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for history
Cite this Entry
“History.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/history. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
history
noun
his·to·ry
ˈhis-t(ə-)rē
plural histories
1
: a story of real or imaginary events
2
a
: a written record of important events and their causes
b
: a branch of knowledge that records and explains past events
c
: events that form the topics of a history
Medical Definition
history
noun
his·to·ry
ˈhis-t(ə-)rē
plural histories
: an account of a patient's family and personal background and past and present health
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