life history

noun

1
: a history of the changes through which an organism passes in its development from the primary stage to its natural death
2
: the history of an individual or thing

Examples of life history in a Sentence

studying the life history of bears
Recent Examples on the Web The findings, reported Thursday in Science, are a step toward restoring difficult-to-obtain ancestry knowledge to African Americans who descended from enslaved people, whose life histories, or even names, were rarely recorded. Usha Lee McFarling, STAT, 3 Aug. 2023 The life histories of species, however, can amplify or reduce the effects of that randomness. Veronique Greenwood, Quanta Magazine, 26 June 2023 There is still a lot left to discover about a juvenile shark’s life history, so the data uncovered can be helpful in putting certain pieces of the puzzle together. Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 29 July 2023 These insights can have ripple effects beyond an awareness of specific biases, becoming relevant in many aspects of our lives — in our relationships with partners or children, in reviewing our life history. Orna Guralnik, New York Times, 16 May 2023 Once a celebrity commits to being on the show, The Masked Singer team goes through their life history to pick the perfect look. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2023 Anyone who spends time pondering the mysteries of superlative organisms like Pando may marvel over the trembling giant's life history and day-to-day goings on. Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 10 May 2023 The results and the new measuring technique will likely further new approaches to investigating reproductive endocrinology, life history, and even disease patterns in modern and prehistoric context. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 3 May 2023 Premiere was particularly useful in allowing the directors and Rogers to remotely collaborate in fashioning the flashy, 2001-style rapid cuts needed as characters shifted between alternate worlds, or possibilities, or their own life history in rapid fashion. David Bloom, Forbes, 25 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'life history.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of life history was in 1848

Dictionary Entries Near life history

Cite this Entry

“Life history.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life%20history. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

life history

noun
1
: a history of the changes through which a living thing passes in its development from the first stage to its natural death
2

Medical Definition

life history

noun
1
a
: a history of the changes through which an organism passes in its development from the primary stage to its natural death
b
: one series of the changes in a life history
2
: the history of an individual's development in his or her social environment

More from Merriam-Webster on life history

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