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

Like Pocahontas, Sacagawea was a real person, one whose life is directly tied to America’s colonialist history. — Ruth Hopkins, Teen Vogue, "Sacagawea Changed the Course of History and Deserves Respect," 11 Jan. 2019 First, consider the history of all the companies that have ranked No. 1 by market size. — Jason Zweig, WSJ, "What Amazon’s Rise to No. 1 Says About the Stock Market," 11 Jan. 2019 Located in Ballard, the museum’s ingenious architecture details the Scandinavian-American immigrant experience and Nordic history in separate rooms connected by footbridges; visitors are invited to cross back and forth between the two narratives. — Ella Riley-adams, Vogue, "The Best New Places to Eat, Stay, and Play in Seattle," 10 Jan. 2019 All that history and culture, food and art—and oh, the beautiful beaches—means there's a little something for every vacation style in Curaçao. — Kaitlin Menza, Town & Country, "The Best Things to Do, Eat, and See in Curaçao," 8 Jan. 2019 The house was gutted, and the wood from the original space was upcycled into the new design to pay tribute to the home's history. — Brittney Morgan, House Beautiful, "This Upcycled Industrial Kitchen Was Built Around A Hot Sauce Shelf," 8 Jan. 2019 Along with years of research and on-mountain testing to ensure the usefulness of Futurelight, The North Face turned to Underwriter Labs, an independent research agency with 120 years of history testing fire and hazmat suits, to test the fabric. — Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, "The North Face's New Fabric Is Waterproof, Breathable, and Brought to You by Science," 8 Jan. 2019 Since 2013, history buffs have been on a wild ride following Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and the rest of his brutish bunch on Vikings. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "The 'Vikings' Show Is Officially Cancelled and Fans Are Devastated," 8 Jan. 2019 Achieving equity also rests on reorienting history. — Diana Budds, Curbed, "How cities became more equitable in 2018," 26 Dec. 2018

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.