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
But already by the mid-1980s, the pendulum had started to swing away from the historiography of Mr. Le Roy Ladurie and his Annales colleagues.
—
Jonathan Kandell, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2023
In official Russian historiography, the Soviet intervention in Spain is seen as the direct precursor to the Great Patriotic War—Russia’s monumental fight against Nazi Germany in World War II.
—Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 12 May 2023
Imagine Alan Turing initiating a light conversation about long-distance running, World War II historiography, and the theory of computation.
—WIRED, 10 Aug. 2023
Postwar politics and historiography both attempted to appropriate and glorify as well as discredit various forms of resistance.
—Christopher R. Browning, The New York Review of Books, 2 July 2020
There has been a trend over the past few years of scholars in the humanities engaging in deconstruction and intellectual archaeology which overturns old historical orthodoxies, understandings, and leaves the historiography of a particular topic of study in a chaotic mess.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 8 Aug. 2013
The British musical Six, a girl-power pop concert presented by the wives of Henry VIII, should be a simple excuse to hear decent impressions of Beyoncé and Adele; its needless gesture at feminist historiography is so limp that the characters openly admit it.
—Vulture, 28 Mar. 2023
This line of thinking has been floating around for a bit, chiefly among academic circles, and with this series, the journalist Moya Lothian-McLean is looking to push these ideas deeper into the public by unpacking the argument through a reframing of British historiography.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2021
Conversely, scholars of fascism present the Shoah as a particular event that is not central to fascist historiography.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2023
See More
Jonathan Kandell, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2023
In official Russian historiography, the Soviet intervention in Spain is seen as the direct precursor to the Great Patriotic War—Russia’s monumental fight against Nazi Germany in World War II.
—Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 12 May 2023
Imagine Alan Turing initiating a light conversation about long-distance running, World War II historiography, and the theory of computation.
—WIRED, 10 Aug. 2023
Postwar politics and historiography both attempted to appropriate and glorify as well as discredit various forms of resistance.
—Christopher R. Browning, The New York Review of Books, 2 July 2020
There has been a trend over the past few years of scholars in the humanities engaging in deconstruction and intellectual archaeology which overturns old historical orthodoxies, understandings, and leaves the historiography of a particular topic of study in a chaotic mess.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 8 Aug. 2013
The British musical Six, a girl-power pop concert presented by the wives of Henry VIII, should be a simple excuse to hear decent impressions of Beyoncé and Adele; its needless gesture at feminist historiography is so limp that the characters openly admit it.
—Vulture, 28 Mar. 2023
This line of thinking has been floating around for a bit, chiefly among academic circles, and with this series, the journalist Moya Lothian-McLean is looking to push these ideas deeper into the public by unpacking the argument through a reframing of British historiography.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2021
Conversely, scholars of fascism present the Shoah as a particular event that is not central to fascist historiography.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'historiography.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
see historiographer
First Known Use
1569, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Dictionary Entries Near historiography
Cite this Entry
“Historiography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/historiography. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
More from Merriam-Webster on historiography
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about historiography
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share