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

Documenting her and her fellow volunteers’ attentions, the book is an ode to the kind of careful, patient natural history that contemporary science practiced at its increasingly rapid pace does not encourage as much anymore. —Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026

After attending Del Mar Hills Elementary and The Bishop’s School, Kennerson headed to Yale to study archaeology and Montana State University for a master’s degree in natural history filmmaking. —Luke Harold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026

But if access can be secured and the computational infrastructure scaled to match, such efforts could transform natural history museums from static repositories into dynamic digital biomes. —IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2026

Officials said that the name honors both the site’s natural history and the native people who maintain long-standing connections to the area. —Yadira Sanchez Olson, Chicago Tribune, 2 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