natural history

noun

1

: a treatise on some aspect of nature

2

: the natural development of something (such as an organism or disease) over a period of time

3

: the study of natural objects especially in the field from an amateur or popular point of view

Examples of natural history in a Sentence

the natural history of bees

We went to the Natural History Museum.

Recent Examples on the Web

Discovery+ content spans food, home, relationships, true crime, paranormal, adventure, natural history and more. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

In his new role, Small will work across Plimsoll’s natural history and kids and family slates, reporting into Mark Brownlow, Head of Natural History. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026

This natural history is reflected in the city's grand cloak of Art Deco, neoclassical, and Romanesque architecture, the buildings' façades swathed in stone and iron detailing and girded by skeletons of steel. — Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026

The second is the material history of the concrete elements and the natural history of the site. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for natural history

• consistory
• ethnohistory
• mystery

Kids Definition

natural history

noun

: the study of natural objects and especially plants and animals as they live in nature from an amateur or popular point of view

Medical Definition

natural history

noun

: the natural development of something (as an organism or disease) over a period of time

increasing knowledge of the natural histories of tumors

—H. S. N. Greene