history
noun
his·to·ry
ˈhi-st(ə-)rē 
plural histories
2
a
: a chronological record of significant events (such as those affecting a nation or institution) often including an explanation of their causes
a history of Japan
b
: a treatise presenting systematically related natural phenomena (as of geography, animals, or plants)
an illustrated history of North American birds
c
: an account of a patient's medical background
reviewing her medical history
d
: an established record
a prisoner with a history of violence
3
: a branch of knowledge that records and explains past events
medieval history
4
a
: events that form the subject matter of a history
the history of space exploration
b
: events of the past
History has shown that such efforts rarely succeed.
c
: one that is finished or done for
the winning streak was history
you're history
d
: previous treatment, handling, or experience (as of a metal)
a history of repeated exposure to freezing temperatures
Examples of history in a Sentence
I studied history in college.
a professor of medieval history
They were one of the greatest teams in history.
It was one of the most destructive storms in modern history.
It was a period in American history when most people lived and worked on farms.
The history of space exploration is a fascinating topic.
He wrote a well-known history of the British empire.
The book begins with a brief history of the Internet.
Recent Examples on the Web
The result was one of the most transformative kitchen appliances in history, not because of new technology but because someone recognized an everyday problem—slow, inefficient cooking—applied a seemingly unrelated observation, and created a solution.
—
Mark Nevins, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
The ugly ending to their relationship doesn’t change the fact that Butler established himself as one of the greatest players in Heat history despite never winning an NBA championship during his time in Miami.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2025
The manager doesn’t give a rip about the organizational recent history, the fact that the team had spanned eight years without a winning season since the World Series.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2025
And the second round of the women’s tournament begins today after a first round that yielded few surprises seed-wise, although six teams — UConn, LSU, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas — scored more than 100 points for the first time in the history of the women’s NCAA tournament.
—Andrew Torgan, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for history
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Mark Nevins, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
The ugly ending to their relationship doesn’t change the fact that Butler established himself as one of the greatest players in Heat history despite never winning an NBA championship during his time in Miami.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2025
The manager doesn’t give a rip about the organizational recent history, the fact that the team had spanned eight years without a winning season since the World Series.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2025
And the second round of the women’s tournament begins today after a first round that yielded few surprises seed-wise, although six teams — UConn, LSU, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas — scored more than 100 points for the first time in the history of the women’s NCAA tournament.
—Andrew Torgan, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for history
Cite this Entry
“History.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/history. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
history
noun
his·to·ry
ˈhis-t(ə-)rē
plural histories
1
: a story of real or imaginary events
2
a
: a written record of important events and their causes
b
: a branch of knowledge that records and explains past events
c
: events that form the topics of a history
Medical Definition
history
noun
his·to·ry
ˈhis-t(ə-)rē
plural histories
: an account of a patient's family and personal background and past and present health
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