family history

noun

1
: past occurrences (of a medical or mental health condition) in family members or past incidences (of a type of behavior) by family members
They have a family history of heart disease.
a family history of violence
2
: a record of one's ancestors
He can trace his family history all the way back to the Pilgrims.

Examples of family history in a Sentence

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Intuition guided many of my decisions, often informed by clear references in my head from my own family history. Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025 Chaka Zulu, a longtime cultural connector, tied his commitment to Africa to his family history. Essence, 23 Sep. 2025 At the film’s press conference on Sunday, Jolie was emotional discussing her family history of cancer, an illness that took the life of both her mother and grandmother. Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 22 Sep. 2025 The film, rooted in Hairabedian’s own family history of displacement, explores how children inherit both dreams and burdens in militarized lands. Essie Assibu, Variety, 20 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for family history

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Cite this Entry

“Family history.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/family%20history. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

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