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 provider may ask if there is a family history of heart disease, heart failure, or cardiomyopathy.
—
Patty Weasler, Verywell Health, 5 Aug. 2025
Polly in turn begins digging through her own family history — and comes to see just how much her book club might change her life forever.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 4 Aug. 2025
With no family history of the disease, the competitive powerlifter—based in Miami, Florida—was in complete shock.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025
Roughly 15-20% of people with the disease have a family history of it.6
The average person in the U.S. has a less-than-1% chance of getting MS, but that risk increases for first-degree relatives:68
There's a 2% risk for children of parents with MS.
—Sarah Bradley, Health, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for family history
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Patty Weasler, Verywell Health, 5 Aug. 2025
Polly in turn begins digging through her own family history — and comes to see just how much her book club might change her life forever.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 4 Aug. 2025
With no family history of the disease, the competitive powerlifter—based in Miami, Florida—was in complete shock.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025
Roughly 15-20% of people with the disease have a family history of it.6
The average person in the U.S. has a less-than-1% chance of getting MS, but that risk increases for first-degree relatives:68
There's a 2% risk for children of parents with MS.
—Sarah Bradley, Health, 26 July 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 21 Aug. 2025.
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