oral history

noun

1

: a recording containing information about the past obtained from in-depth interviews concerning personal experiences, recollections, and reflections

also : the study of such information

2

: a written work based on oral history

oral historian noun

Examples of oral history in a Sentence

I'm reading an oral history of the Great Depression.

Recent Examples on the Web

The exhibition, created by The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis in collaboration with the Emmett Till Interpretive Center and the Till family, includes photographs, oral histories and interactive displays. —Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2025

Boyle is a great example of what Carthy was talking about, the originator of an oral history and a certain type of folk song, passed by word of mouth around a fanbase and through generations. —Nick Miller, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025

This oral history of the Manhattan Project and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is dramatically made aural, thanks to the talents of some 30 narrators, plus the author. —Audiofile Magazine september 30, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025

Dinkins, who was named one of Time’s Most Influential People in AI, interviewed people in African American communities in the Bay Area to get the oral histories that the project’s artificial intelligence uses to generate immersive projections on 14-foot walls — images the move and evolve. —Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for oral history

• ethnohistory
• consistory
• mystery