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

That same year, many of them spoke with Rolling Stone for a massive oral history about the making of the film and its legacy. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2025

Priscilla Baltimore and her husband were among the first buyers, as were other families named in oral history as having founded the initial freedom village. —Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2025

Memorials and oral histories continue to honor the sacrifices of his generation, ensuring their stories endure. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025

Earlier this month, the Department of the Interior announced an oral history initiative with the National Museum of American History to preserve the stories of survivors of the federal Indian boarding school system. —Cy Neff, USA TODAY, 25 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1