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

In a 2017 oral history of the notorious scene, One Tree Hill creator Mark Schwahn recalled that the origins of the scene lay in the idea of cultivating some sympathy for the villainous Dan. —Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Nov. 2025

The program in Roseville became a kind of oral history as Christiansen shared the story behind the cookbooks along with one of its editors, Marcia Copeland of Plymouth (co-editor Betsy Norum, an icon in Family and Consumer Sciences, passed away in 1994). —Molly Guthrey, Twin Cities, 8 Nov. 2025

In addition to a special collection at the museum on Operation Crossroads, the oral histories live in an online database accessible by those interested in learning more. —Hope Hodge Seck, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025

Incorporate oral histories, perfumer interviews, diaspora stories, scent memories — let the audience co-create. —Sudhir Gupta, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for oral history

• ethnohistory
• consistory
• mystery