History Definition

hĭstə-rē
histories
noun
histories
An account of what has or might have happened, esp. in the form of a narrative, play, story, or tale.
Webster's New World
What has happened in the life or development of a people, country, institution, etc.
Webster's New World
A systematic account of this, usually in chronological order with an analysis and explanation.
Webster's New World
The chronological story or development of a group, institution, etc.
The next election is a crucial point in our nation's history.
Webster's New World
An established condition or pattern of behavior.
An inmate with a history of mental illness and drug abuse.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
verb

(obsolete) To narrate or record.

Wiktionary
Synonyms:
idiom
make history
  • to be or do something important enough to be recorded
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of History

Noun

Singular:
history
Plural:
histories

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to History

Origin of History

  • From Middle English, from Old French estoire, estorie (“chronicle, history, story”) (French histoire), from Latin historia, from Ancient Greek ἱστορία (historia, “learning through research, narration of what is learned”), from ἱστορέω (historeō, “to learn through research, to inquire”), from ἵστωρ (histōr, “the one who knows, the expert”), from *ϝίδτωρ, from Proto-Indo-European *wid- (“wit, knowledge”). Compare story.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English histoire from Old French from Latin historia from Greek historiā from historein to inquire from histōr learned man weid- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Attested in Middle English in 1393 by John Gower, Confessio Amantis, which was aimed at an educated audience familiar with French and Latin.

    From Wiktionary

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to history using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

history