historiography

noun

his·​to·​ri·​og·​ra·​phy hi-ˌstȯr-ē-ˈä-grə-fē How to pronounce historiography (audio)
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
historiographically adverb

Examples of historiography in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The memorial also mentions several Jewish victims of Arab robberies and 13 Jews who were killed in British bombing raids on Palestine during World War I. Palestinian historiography and commemorative culture rely on a similarly tendentious use of history. Tom Segev, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024 Add to that their cultural breakthroughs, inventing historiography, medicine, theater, philosophy—even the words are of Greek origin. Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024 Nolan’s book contributes to the historiography of the multidecade conflict, which has already been the focus of some excellent scholarship by such specialists as Greg Grandin, Victoria Sanford, and Stephen Schlesinger. John Washington, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 The author’s deference reaches a point where his own work becomes more historiography than history. Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023 See all Example Sentences for historiography 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of historiography was in 1569

Dictionary Entries Near historiography

Cite this Entry

“Historiography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/historiography. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

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