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

The discovery was something of an accident, says Frances Dunn, a senior researcher of natural history at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and a co-author of the paper. —Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026

Exhibits also cover pirates and the natural history of the area. —Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026

This was a great advantage, since Buffon was a towering figure in natural history, with extensive resources and influence. —Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026

Plimsoll Productions, part of ITV Studios, has hired executive producer Paul Wright, who will develop live programming across all genres, including adventure, factual entertainment, and natural history. —Arushi Jacob, Variety, 23 Mar. 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