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
Men with a family history of colorectal cancer should begin screenings at 40, Caamano noted.
—
Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 8 Dec. 2025
Aziza expands her focus beyond Emmeline Cline’s Dead Weight — another essential book about eating disorders — to create a complicated portrait of selfhood, illness, family history, and political violence.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Hamnet’s production design and costumes suit the film’s intimate focus and scale, with Zhao’s camera lingering on a home full of family history and the objects of daily life, and evocative period garments made from natural materials.
—Elaina Patton, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025
For instance, a Johns Hopkins expert and her colleagues concluded that people with a family history of heart disease who also had a sunny outlook positioned themselves well.
—Vicki Salemi, Boston Herald, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for family history
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Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 8 Dec. 2025
Aziza expands her focus beyond Emmeline Cline’s Dead Weight — another essential book about eating disorders — to create a complicated portrait of selfhood, illness, family history, and political violence.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Hamnet’s production design and costumes suit the film’s intimate focus and scale, with Zhao’s camera lingering on a home full of family history and the objects of daily life, and evocative period garments made from natural materials.
—Elaina Patton, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025
For instance, a Johns Hopkins expert and her colleagues concluded that people with a family history of heart disease who also had a sunny outlook positioned themselves well.
—Vicki Salemi, Boston Herald, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for family history
Cite this Entry
“Family history.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/family%20history. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.
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