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

Shows housed at the unit include NBC Universal’s natural history series The Americas, the forthcoming Walking with Dinosaurs for the BBC, and Nat Geo’s Tucci in Italy. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 May 2025

The network will debut Surviving Earth, its natural history series follow-up to The Americas, sometime next season but hasn’t set its spot on the schedule yet. —Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025

The memoir includes lovely illustrations by Denise Nestor and many fascinating details about hares which Dalton draws from natural history, folklore, art, and literature. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 May 2025

The landmark natural history series promises to transport audiences through prehistoric eras by combining cutting-edge science with VFX to chronicle the lives of six different dinosaur species. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025

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