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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The tribe’s oral histories, artifacts and cultural practices link them with Chaco Canyon, a regional hub for the ancestral Pueblo people. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2025 Once you’re done, check out the book U2 at the End of the World, by Bill Flanagan, and the group’s own official oral history, U2 by U2. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2025 The White Lotus cast and creative team spoke with The Hollywood Reporter for an oral history of the hit HBO show’s third season. James Factora, Them., 2 Apr. 2025 Thus far, 700 items have been scanned and imaged, Lockhart said, including postcards, documents, objects and photos and transcription and digitization of oral histories that previously were on cassette tapes and other physical media. Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for oral history

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of oral history was in 1950

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oral history.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oral%20history. Accessed 16 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!