history

Pluralhistories

Formshistories, historying, historied

1. 1
   past of somethingnouncountable

   The series of events that a particular entity has gone through over time.

   The company has a troubled history of labor disputes.

   The bridge's history includes several major repairs.

   UsageOften a history of + a repeated problem: a history of disputes, a long history of violence.

   Similarrecord, past, background

2. 2
   nouncountable or uncountable

   All the events of the past taken together, especially the part known from written records rather than prehistory.

   The sweep of history includes countless lives that were never written down.

   War and famine have shaped much of human history.

   UsageNo the for the past in general: history shows (not incorrect: the history shows). Use the with of: the history of Rome.

   Similarpast

   Oppositefuture

3. 3
   study of pastnouncountable or uncountable

   The study of past events based on evidence, as distinct from literature, myth, or scripture.

   Modern history relies on archives, letters, and physical evidence.

   He earned a degree in history before becoming a journalist.

   UsageAs a subject, no article: study history, a degree in history. Not the same as story, which can be invented.

   Note

   Behind the academic subject is a Greek word for inquiry. Ancient Greek historíā meant "learning through research," from historéō, "to research, inquire and record," and ultimately from hístōr, "the knowing, wise one." Old French estoire later covered chronicle, history and story alike, so the line this sense draws against myth and literature was not always inside the word. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 6 facts

   • History ultimately derives from a Greek word associated with inquiry. en.wikipedia.org
   • Ancient Greek historíā meant learning through research. en.wiktionary.org
   • Historíā derives from historéō, meaning to research, inquire and record. en.wiktionary.org
   • The Greek derivation ultimately leads to hístōr, meaning the knowing or wise one. en.wiktionary.org
   • Old French estoire covered chronicle, history and story. en.wiktionary.org
   • The earlier word did not consistently distinguish factual history from literary or mythical narrative; this is an inference from its overlapping senses. fr.wiktionary.org
4. 4
   nouncountable

   A written or narrated account describing past events.

   He published a detailed history of the railroad.

   Several histories of the revolution disagree about its causes.

   UsageMost often a history of + the subject: a short history of the railroad.

   Similaraccount, story, chronicle, tale

   Note

   The countable account, and its plural carries a literary meaning: Shakespeare's histories are his history plays, set beside his tragedies as a genre of their own. Thucydides' history of the Peloponnesian War is the classic use for a single work. Account, chronicle, story and tale are near neighbors, but a history usually announces a whole subject, as in a short history of post-Columbian colonization. Source

   Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

   • Shakespeare's histories are plays classified separately from his tragedies. folgerpedia.folger.edu
   • Thucydides wrote a history of the Peloponnesian War that is regarded as a classic. en.wikipedia.org
5. 5
   medical recordnouncountable

   A record of a person's or family's past and ongoing medical conditions.

   His medical history included two prior surgeries.

   The nurse recorded a detailed history before the exam.

   UsageUse a history of + a condition someone has had or still has. A family history of cancer means relatives have had cancer.

   Similarrecord, background

   Note

   In clinical talk the word often stands alone: a diagnosis may rest on the history and physical examination, so what the patient reports is set beside what the doctor finds. Insurers ask for the fuller phrase, a personal medical history. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

   • Medical history and physical examination contribute to diagnosis. cancer.gov
   • The patient's reported symptoms are considered alongside findings obtained by examination. en.wikipedia.org
   • Insurers request health information that includes personal medical history. insuranceline.com.au
6. 6
   activity lognouncountable

   A record of a user's previous actions, especially the web pages visited in a browser.

   Her search history showed weeks of recipe lookups.

   The app keeps a history of every file you open.

   UsageYou clear or delete your history; the common compounds are browser history and search history.

   Similarlog

   Note

   Software borrowed the word for its running log, and the verb it usually takes is clear: "Luckily, I didn't clear my history." Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

   • The quoted wording occurs in Wiktionary as an unattributed usage example. en.wiktionary.org
7. 7
   noununcountable

   An event significant enough to be remembered as part of the recorded past.

   The first moon landing made history around the world.

   History was made when the long-awaited treaty was finally signed.

   UsageMostly in make history and history was made. Context separates it's history! (momentous) from he's history (finished).

   Note

   It marks a moment that future accounts will record. In Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus's memoir Hope (2015), Barack Obama's election is greeted with "It's history!" Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

   • Hope is a memoir by Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, written with Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan. penguinrandomhouse.com
   • Hope was first published in 2015. openlibrary.org
   • The memoir greets Barack Obama's election with the exact words "It's history!" en.wiktionary.org
8. 8
   noununcountable

   A shared past of experience or interaction between people.

   The coworkers had history that made every meeting tense.

   We have too much history to simply part as strangers.

   Similarpast, baggage

   Note

   Without an article it suggests an entanglement, often an uneasy one, that is hard to undo.

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