You can refer to the events of the past as history. You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
History is full of seemingly minor events leading to international showdowns.
...the most evil mass killer in history.
...the history of Birmingham. [+ of]
...religious history.
1.
See make history
2.
See go down in history
2. uncountable noun
History is a subject studied in schools, colleges, and universities that deals with events that have happened in the past.
3. countable noun
A history is an account of events that have happened in the past.
...his magnificent history of broadcasting in Canada. [+ of]
...oral histories taken from elderly people in Rochester.
Synonyms: chronicle, record, story, account More Synonyms of history
4. countable noun [usually singular]
If a person or a place has ahistoryof something, it has been very common or has happened frequently in their past.
...a history of drink problems.
The boy's mother had a history of abusing her children.
5. countable noun [with poss]
Someone's history is the set of facts that are known about their past.
He couldn't get a new job because of his medical history.
...an exhibition documenting the personal history of Anne Frank.
6. uncountable noun
If you say that an event, thing, or person is history, you mean that they are no longer important.
The Charlottetown agreement is history.
7.
See the rest is history
8. See also natural history
More Synonyms of history
history in British English
(ˈhɪstərɪ, ˈhɪstrɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-ries
1.
a.
a record or account, often chronological in approach, of past events, developments, etc
b.
(as modifier)
a history book
a history play
2.
all that is preserved or remembered of the past, esp in written form
3.
the discipline of recording and interpreting past events involving human beings
4.
past events, esp when considered as an aggregate
5.
an event in the past, esp one that has been forgotten or reduced in importance
their quarrel was just history
6.
the past, background, previous experiences, etc, of a thing or person
the house had a strange history
7. computing
a stored list of the websites that a user has recently visited
8.
a play that depicts or is based on historical events
9.
a narrative relating the events of a character's life
the history of Joseph Andrews
Abbreviation (for senses 1–3): hist
Word origin
C15: from Latin historia, from Greek: enquiry, from historein to narrate, from histōr judge
history in American English
(ˈhɪstəri; ˈhɪstri)
nounWord forms: pluralˈhistories
1.
an account of what has or might have happened, esp. in the form of a narrative, play, story, or tale
2.
a.
what has happened in the life or development of a people, country, institution, etc.
b.
a systematic account of this, usually in chronological order with an analysis and explanation
3.
all recorded events of the past
4.
the branch of knowledge that deals systematically with the past; a recording, analyzing, correlating, and explaining of past events
5.
a known or recorded past
the strange history of his coat
6.
a.
something that belongs to the past
the election is history now
b. Informal
someone or something regarded as no longer important, relevant, useful, etc.
7.
something important enough to be recorded
8. Rare
a scientific account of a system of natural phenomena
natural history
9.
a record of a person's medical condition, treatments received, etc.
her medical history
Idioms:
make history
Word origin
ME < L historia < Gr, a learning by inquiry, narrative < histōr, knowing, learned < base of eidenai, to know < IE base *weid-, to see, know > wise1
More idioms containing
history
the rest is history
be history
COBUILD Collocations
history
aviation history
browsing history
change history
chart the history of
church history
cinema history
colonial history
entire history
explore history
football history
history is full of
history is littered with
literary history
military history
music history
musical history
personal history
political history
potted history
proud history
read history
research the history of
shape history
shared history
short history
sporting history
world history
Examples of 'history' in a sentence
history
Why do you think there is this national amnesia about the history of these policies?
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
There might be family history putting him off that could be resolved.
The Sun (2017)
Name one country in history where bolstering people in their prejudices has turned out for the best.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The history of tarpaulin is therefore also a history of human displacement and discomfort.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That’s the reason why learning this history is important.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
The history goes a lot deeper and further back than those three and a half years.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
It had a sense of history about it.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That moment has gone down in family history.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Your medical history does not preclude getting insurance, although you will have to pay a premium.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Young people should be able to learn about their history and their rights.
The Sun (2013)
Others were erased from history by people scavenging for timber.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
This means fully disclosing all relevant medical history.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Church history received the short end of my efforts.
Christianity Today (2000)
He has more raises than any one else in history.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Past history suggests this might be a spectacle worth watching.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Which person from history would you most like to spend the day with?
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
These reasons are sometimes more important than history.
The Sun (2010)
We are not beholden therefore to any past political history or any particular businessgimmick.
Cockett, Richard Thinking the Unthinkable (1994)
And go down in history as a great.
The Sun (2013)
What did the changes mean in history?
Levenson, Thomas Ice Time: Climate, Science, and Life on Earth (1990)
Its more recent history is also proud.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
What does history tell us about saving bees?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Is there a family history of hyperactivity?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
History shows that people will always abuse a free ride.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Medical history is well known for completely missing vital factors.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It is long past time history ceased to be regarded as a serious academic discipline.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Despite seeing potentially the biggest purse in history vanish, one imagines he would have been smiling.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
How can that be reconciled with the manifest variation in the theological beliefs recorded during the long history of the Church?
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
Quotations
The history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class strugglesKarl Marx and Friedrich EngelsThe Communist Manifesto
History is philosophy from examplesDionysius of HalicarnassusArs Rhetorica
There is properly no history; only biographyRalph Waldo EmersonEssays
History is more or less bunk. It's tradition. We don't want tradition. We want to live in the present and the only history that is worth a tinker's damn is the historywe make todayHenry Ford
History is past politics, and politics is present historyE.A. FreemanMethods of Historical Study
What experience and history teach is this - that people and governments never have learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from itG.W.F. HegelPhilosophy of History
History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awakeJames JoyceUlysses
The world's history is the world's judgementFriedrich von Schiller
Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunesVoltaireL'Ingénu
That great dust-heap called `history'Augustine BirrellObiter Dicta
History [is] a distillation of rumourThomas CarlyleHistory of the French Revolution
History gets thicker as it approaches recent timesA.J.P. TaylorEnglish History 1914-45
History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farceKarl Marx
History is littered with wars that everybody knew would never happenEnoch Powell
History is the essence of innumerable biographiesThomas CarlyleCritical and Miscellaneous Essays
History repeats itself
In other languages
history
British English: history /ˈhɪstərɪ; ˈhɪstrɪ/ NOUN
You can refer to the events of the past as history. You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
He later studied history at university.
American English: history
Arabic: تَارِيخ
Brazilian Portuguese: história
Chinese: 历史
Croatian: povijest
Czech: historie
Danish: historie fortid
Dutch: geschiedenis
European Spanish: historia
Finnish: historia
French: histoire
German: Geschichte Vergangenheit
Greek: ιστορία
Italian: storia
Japanese: 歴史
Korean: 역사 연대기
Norwegian: historie
Polish: historia
European Portuguese: História
Romanian: istorie
Russian: история
Latin American Spanish: historia
Swedish: historia
Thai: ประวัติศาสตร์
Turkish: tarih geçmiş, ders
Ukrainian: історія
Vietnamese: lịch sử
All related terms of 'history'
be history
to be no longer important, relevant , or interesting
case history
A person's case history is the record of past events or problems that have affected them, especially their medical history.
history book
A book is a number of pieces of paper , usually with words printed on them, which are fastened together and fixed inside a cover of stronger paper or cardboard . Books contain information, stories , or poetry , for example .
life history
The life history of a person is all the things that happen to them during their life.
make history
Someone who makes history does something that is considered to be important and significant in the development of the world or of a particular society .
music history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
oral history
Oral history consists of spoken memories, stories , and songs , and the study of these, as a way of communicating and discovering information about the past .
proud history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
read history
History is a subject studied in schools, colleges, and universities that deals with events that have happened in the past .
shape history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
short history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
world history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
ancient history
Ancient history is the history of ancient civilizations, especially Greece and Rome .
change history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
church history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
cinema history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
credit history
a record of how promptly a person pays back loans , credits , etc, over time
entire history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
explore history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
living history
any of various activities involving the re-enactment of historical events or the recreation of living conditions of the past
medical history
the past background of a person in terms of health
musical history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
natural history
Natural history is the study of animals and plants and other living things.
potted history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
Sacred History
history that is retold with the aim of instilling religious faith and which may or may not be founded on fact
secret history
a version of historical events which differs from the official or commonly accepted record and purports to be the true version
service history
information concerning all of a car's services (ie overhauls , checks , or repairs )
shadow history
a version of historical events which differs from the official or commonly accepted record and purports to be the true version
shared history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
social history
a view of historical events seen in terms of social trends
aviation history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
browsing history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
colonial history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
football history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
literary history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
Medieval History
the branch of history dealing with the Middle Ages
military history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
personal history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
political history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
sporting history
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
alternative history
a genre of fiction in which the author speculates on how the course of history might have been altered if a particular historical event had had a different outcome
go down in history
If someone or something goes down in history , people in the future remember them because of particular actions that they have done or because of particular events that have happened .
history is full of
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
prehistory
Prehistory is the time in history before any information was written down.
chart the history of
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
the rest is history
If you are telling someone about an event and say the rest is history , you mean that you do not need to tell them what happened next because everyone knows about it already .
history is littered with
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
research the history of
You can refer to the events of the past as history . You can also refer to the past events which concern a particular topic or place as its history.
the trash heap of history
a figurative or imaginative place where forgotten things or people go
后(後)来(來)的事就众(眾)所周知了 hòulái de shì jiù zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī le
the history of France
法国(國)史 Fǎguóshǐ
to be steeped in history
充满(滿)历(歷)史气(氣)息 chōngmǎn lìshǐ qìxī
to have a history of sth/doing sth
有某事/做某事的前科 yǒu mǒushì/zuò mǒushì de qiánkē
1 (noun)
Definition
all that is preserved of the past, esp. in written form
Is history about to repeat itself?
Synonyms
the past
the old days
antiquity
yesterday
the good old days
yesteryear
ancient history
olden days
days of old
days of yore
bygone times
2 (noun)
Definition
a record or account of past events and developments
his magnificent history of broadcasting in Canada
Synonyms
chronicle
this vast chronicle of Napoleonic times
record
Keep a record of all the payments.
story
a popular love story with a happy ending
account
I gave a detailed account of what had happened that night.
relation
narrative
He began his narrative with the day of the murder.
saga
a Nordic saga of giants and trolls
recital
She gave a thrilling recital of her adventures in the Andes.
narration
The play is an autobiographical journey with song, dialogue and narration.
annals
recapitulation
3 (noun)
Definition
the past events or previous experiences of a place, thing, or person
I studied her history closely.
Synonyms
life story
story
biography
an unauthorised biography
autobiography
He published his autobiography last autumn.
memoirs
subject word lists
See Historical charactersSee Historical events
Quotations
The history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggles [Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels – The Communist Manifesto]History is philosophy from examples [Dionysius of Halicarnassus – Ars Rhetorica]There is properly no history; only biography [Ralph Waldo Emerson – Essays]History is more or less bunk. It's tradition. We don't want tradition. We want to live in the present and the only history that is worth a tinker's damn is the history we make today [Henry Ford]History is past politics, and politics is present history [E.A. Freeman – Methods of Historical Study]What experience and history teach is this - that people and governments never have learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it [G.W.F. Hegel – Philosophy of History]History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake [James Joyce – Ulysses]The world's history is the world's judgement [Friedrich von Schiller]Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes [Voltaire – L'Ingénu]That great dust-heap called `history' [Augustine Birrell – Obiter Dicta]History [is] a distillation of rumour [Thomas Carlyle – History of the French Revolution]History gets thicker as it approaches recent times [A.J.P. Taylor – English History 1914-45]History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce [Karl Marx]History is littered with wars that everybody knew would never happen [Enoch Powell]History is the essence of innumerable biographies [Thomas Carlyle – Critical and Miscellaneous Essays]
proverb
History repeats itself
Additional synonyms
in the sense of account
Definition
a report or description
I gave a detailed account of what had happened that night.
Synonyms
description,
report,
record,
story,
history,
detail,
statement,
relation,
version,
tale,
explanation,
narrative,
chronicle,
portrayal,
recital,
depiction,
narration
in the sense of autobiography
Definition
an account of a person's life written by that person