history

noun

his·to·ry | \ ˈhi-st(ə-)rē

plural histories

Definition of history

1 : tale, story

2a : a chronological record of significant events (such as those affecting a nation or institution) often including an explanation of their causes a history of Japan

b : a treatise presenting systematically related natural phenomena (as of geography, animals, or plants) an illustrated history of North American birds

c : an account of a patient's medical background reviewing her medical history

d : an established record a prisoner with a history of violence

3 : a branch of knowledge that records and explains past events medieval history

4a : events that form the subject matter of a history the history of space exploration

b : events of the past History has shown that such efforts rarely succeed.

c : one that is finished or done for the winning streak was history you're history

d : previous treatment, handling, or experience (as of a metal) a history of repeated exposure to freezing temperatures

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about history

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Examples of history in a Sentence

I studied history in college. a professor of medieval history They were one of the greatest teams in history. It was one of the most destructive storms in modern history. It was a period in American history when most people lived and worked on farms. The history of space exploration is a fascinating topic. He wrote a well-known history of the British empire. The book begins with a brief history of the Internet.

Recent Examples on the Web

Break out the body glitter, queue up the boy bands, and take a retrospective look at the best beauty moments in 2000s movie history below, along with tips on how to recreate each one in our modern day of makeup. — Allure, "The Most Iconic Makeup and Hair Moments From Your Favorite Early 2000s Teen Movies," 4 Apr. 2019 Curt Sheldon, a retired Air Force pilot and financial planner, said a client with a similar service history who recently retired also received a roughly $100,000 pension. — Dan Frosch, WSJ, "Pedophile Doctor Could Get U.S. Pension of More Than $1.8 Million While in Prison," 27 Mar. 2019 The report falls in line with a long history of fascination with the lives of first children in the media, a tendency that has long been seen as a faux pas, yet still goes on. — Meagan Flynn, The Seattle Times, "‘No part of her life should be anyone’s clickbait’: Tabloid’s Malia Obama report draws rebukes on social media," 19 Feb. 2019 By 2012, SureWest was acquired by Consolidated Communications, a company with a very similar and rich history that was founded in 1894 as an independent telephone company serving southern Illinois. — Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica, "Try your hand at being an operator at the Roseville Telephone Museum," 22 Dec. 2018 According to Vox, Anning has a history of Islamophobic rhetoric. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "Teen "Egg Boy" Will Connolly Went Viral for Egging a Senator. Now, He Plans to Donate to Christchurch Mosque Shooting Victims," 18 Mar. 2019 Poland has a history of being caught in the crossfire. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "It Looks Like A U.S. Air Base Is Coming To Poland," 13 Mar. 2019 And that's saying a lot, considering this show has a proven history of sending dangerous messages. — Amanda Mitchell, Marie Claire, "Why 'The Bachelor' Finale Grossed Me Out," 13 Mar. 2019 Brain These images are from a 2013 study in the journal Brain, which assessed 85 brains donated from former athletes, veterans, and people with a history of brain injury. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "What a lifetime of playing football can do to the human brain," 4 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'history.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.