family history
noun
1
: past occurrences (of a medical or mental health condition) in family members or past incidences (of a type of behavior) by family members
They have a family history of heart disease.
a family history of violence
2
: a record of one's ancestors
He can trace his family history all the way back to the Pilgrims.
Examples of family history in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The hope is that their piece of family history will ultimately find a home on the grounds of the Texas Capitol.
—
Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Apr. 2024
The results that followed — those from my mammogram, ultrasounds and MRI — were all normal, and my doctor reassured me that my risk was low due to the absences of genetic mutations, a healthy family history and an active lifestyle.
—Andrea Mandell, Peoplemag, 21 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, Reena herself gets lost in the shuffle, despite copious flashbacks that detail not only the months leading up to her passing but the decades of family history that came before.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2024
This is generally caused by the combination of genetic factors, such as family history and genetic markers, and environmental factors, including stress, infections, and dietary influences.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
Some risk factors, such as age and family history, are unchangeable.
—Yuliya Klochan, Health, 14 Apr. 2024
The screening goes beyond the physicals that student athletes are usually required to complete, consisting of a study of students’ family history, an EKG test and a check of their blood pressure.
—Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2024
Your score is calculated via various questions that are designed to obtain information about your personal health history, along with your family history of breast cancer in first-degree relatives, like your parents and siblings.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 14 Mar. 2024
Other heart conditions, like familial hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) and high lipoprotein (a) (proteins and fats that carry cholesterol), can be inherited, and a family history of heart disease that isn’t genetic puts you at higher risk, too.
—Sarah Klein, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Apr. 2024
The results that followed — those from my mammogram, ultrasounds and MRI — were all normal, and my doctor reassured me that my risk was low due to the absences of genetic mutations, a healthy family history and an active lifestyle.
—Andrea Mandell, Peoplemag, 21 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, Reena herself gets lost in the shuffle, despite copious flashbacks that detail not only the months leading up to her passing but the decades of family history that came before.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2024
This is generally caused by the combination of genetic factors, such as family history and genetic markers, and environmental factors, including stress, infections, and dietary influences.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
Some risk factors, such as age and family history, are unchangeable.
—Yuliya Klochan, Health, 14 Apr. 2024
The screening goes beyond the physicals that student athletes are usually required to complete, consisting of a study of students’ family history, an EKG test and a check of their blood pressure.
—Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2024
Your score is calculated via various questions that are designed to obtain information about your personal health history, along with your family history of breast cancer in first-degree relatives, like your parents and siblings.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 14 Mar. 2024
Other heart conditions, like familial hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) and high lipoprotein (a) (proteins and fats that carry cholesterol), can be inherited, and a family history of heart disease that isn’t genetic puts you at higher risk, too.
—Sarah Klein, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'family history.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near family history
Cite this Entry
“Family history.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/family%20history. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
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