Definition of history
histories
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 Japanb : a treatise presenting systematically related natural phenomena (as of geography, animals, or plants) an illustrated history of North American birdsc : an account of a patient's medical background reviewing her medical historyd : 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 explorationb : 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 historyd : previous treatment, handling, or experience (as of a metal) a history of repeated exposure to freezing temperatures
From the M-W Editors
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 of history from the Web
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Crichton’s prose is only serviceable, and chunks of undigested history are awkwardly scattered around like …
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Thompson claimed the individual title in the Peach Belt Conference Championship in women's cross country with the third-fastest time in championship event history.
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Since that date, the United States has held a position of leadership unequaled in world history.
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For the fourth time in franchise history, the Padres were victimized by 14 or more strikeouts in consecutive games.
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The Montana race focused on Quist’s history of financial problems and Gianforte’s stance on House Republicans’ effort to dismantle Obamacare.
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The subtitle of Mott’s first foray into highly dramatic history says it all.
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In this brilliantly animated video, Ted-Ed walks us through some of the deadliest colors in history: Perhaps the most famous of the deadly colors is white lead, which can still be found in houses across the country.
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And also, there's a rich history in Indian culture and brown culture of nicknaming people.
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.
Origin and Etymology of history
Middle English histoire, historie, from Anglo-French estoire, histoire, from Latin historia, from Greek, inquiry, history, from histōr, istōr knowing, learned; akin to Greek eidenai to know — more at wit
Other History Terms
HISTORY Defined for English Language Learners
history
playDefinition of history for English Language Learners
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: the study of past events
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: events of the past
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: past events that relate to a particular subject, place, organization, etc.
HISTORY Defined for Kids
history
playDefinition of history for Students
histories
1 : events of the past and especially those relating to a particular place or subject European history
2 : a branch of knowledge that records and explains past events
3 : a written report of past events She wrote a history of the Internet.
4 : an established record of past events His criminal history is well-known.
Medical Dictionary
history
playMedical Definition of history
histories
: an account of a patient's family and personal background and past and present health
Learn More about history
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See words that rhyme with history Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for history Spanish Central: Translation of history Nglish: Translation of history for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of history for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
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