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

In the back, the friends perused the menu, which consisted of cocktails inspired by different aspects of natural history. — Hilton Als, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026

According to research by Andy Reymann, the museum’s curator of cultural anthropology, Fritze donated several natural history objects to the Nassau Society for Natural History (the Museum Wiesbaden’s predecessor) beginning in 1833. — News Desk, Artforum, 5 Nov. 2026

Fritze donated several natural history objects to Nassau Society for Natural History, the Museum Wiesbaden’s predecessor, beginning 1833. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Also, many families of rare disease patients spend years creating databases, known as natural history studies, so they can be used as control groups in trials instead of giving patients a placebo, which is often impractical and unethical. — Gerry Smith, CNBC, 22 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