history
HIHS-tuh-ree
History (noun) means the study of past events, or the events themselves considered together. Example: “She majored in history at university.”
noun
1
The study of past events, or the events themselves considered together.
"She majored in history at university."
"The country has a long and complicated history."
"Our teacher made history exciting by acting out old stories."
2
A record of an entity's past actions or states, such as a browsing history or medical history.
"The doctor asked about her family medical history."
"He cleared his browser history before handing over the laptop."
"Check your order history to see what you bought last month."
3
Used to say something is no longer relevant or has ended, especially in the phrase "be history."
"If the team loses again tonight, the coach is history."
"Once the new app launched, the old paper forms were history."
"After that mistake, his career was history."
How to use history
Learner’s notes
Common pairings
make history
ancient history
medical history
browsing history
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like history.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- histories
- Third person singular
- histories
- Past tense
- historied
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She majored in _____ at university.
Etymology
From Latin historia, from Greek historíā ("inquiry, knowledge gained by investigation"), ultimately from a root meaning "to know" or "to see."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for history
See all rhymes for history →Frequently asked questions
What does “history” mean?
The word “history” means the study of past events, or the events themselves considered together.
How do you pronounce “history”?
“History” is pronounced HIHS-tuh-ree (/ˈhɪs.tə.ɹi/ in IPA).
How do you use “history” in a sentence?
Here is “history” used in a sentence: “She majored in history at university.”
What part of speech is “history”?
“History” is a noun.
Where does the word “history” come from?
The word “history” comes from Latin. From Latin historia, from Greek historíā ("inquiry, knowledge gained by investigation"), ultimately from a root meaning "to know" or "to see.".
Is “history” a common word?
“History” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “history” have?
“History” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the study of past events, or the events themselves considered together.
What is the difference between history and the past?
The past is everything that has already happened. History is our record and study of it — the selected, researched, and written account that historians build from evidence. The past is gone and complete; history is the ongoing effort to understand it. So history is always a version of the past, not the past itself.
What are the branches of history?
History divides into many fields, such as political, social, economic, military, cultural, and art history. It is also split by period (ancient, medieval, modern) and by place (world history, national history). Related disciplines like archaeology and archival study support it. Each branch examines the past through its own particular lens.
Why is history important?
History helps us understand how the present came to be, revealing the causes behind current societies, borders, and ideas. It offers lessons from past successes and mistakes, builds shared identity and memory, and trains us to weigh evidence critically. Knowing history makes it far harder to be misled about where we came from.
What is the difference between history and prehistory?
History, in the strict sense, covers the period for which written records exist. Prehistory is the vast stretch of human existence before writing, known only through physical remains studied by archaeology. The invention of writing marks the boundary, which fell at different times in different parts of the world.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include history:
