historiography
noun
his·to·ri·og·ra·phy
hi-ˌstȯr-ē-ˈä-grə-fē 
1
a
: the writing of history
especially
: the writing of history based on the critical examination of sources, the selection of particulars from the authentic materials, and the synthesis of particulars into a narrative that will stand the test of critical methods
b
: the principles, theory, and history of historical writing
a course in historiography
2
: the product of historical writing : a body of historical literature
a survey of the country's historiography
historiographical
adjective
or less commonly historiographic
Examples of historiography in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Portraiture and painting were forms of historiography.
—
Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
American historiography of the Civil War would be dominated by the Confederate-friendly into the middle of the twentieth century, providing intellectual backbone for the American version of apartheid.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 5 Oct. 2025
Tamas’s comment alludes to a famous observation by historian Richard Hofstadter, a giant of mid-20th-century political historiography.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
His gaze has reinvented the forms of contemporary filmmaking, creating a historiography in images that has exerted an incalculable influence on countless film directors.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for historiography
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
American historiography of the Civil War would be dominated by the Confederate-friendly into the middle of the twentieth century, providing intellectual backbone for the American version of apartheid.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 5 Oct. 2025
Tamas’s comment alludes to a famous observation by historian Richard Hofstadter, a giant of mid-20th-century political historiography.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
His gaze has reinvented the forms of contemporary filmmaking, creating a historiography in images that has exerted an incalculable influence on countless film directors.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for historiography
Cite this Entry
“Historiography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/historiography. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share