history

/'histəri/
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history

A student reads a history book in the library.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • The study of past events, particularly in human affairs: "History" refers to the academic discipline concerned with the systematic investigation and interpretation of past human activity based on evidence.
    • A continuous, typically chronological, record of important or public events: "History" can denote the series of past events connected with a particular person, nation, or thing.
    • The whole series of past events connected with someone or something: It is the aggregate of past experiences or developments that shape a current state.
    • An eventful past: A past characterized by notable or interesting events.
Usage and Examples
  • As a subject of study:
    • She is majoring in history at university.
    • The professor specializes in ancient history.
  • Referring to past events of a subject:
    • This castle has a long and fascinating history.
    • The company's history of innovation is well-documented.
  • Referring to a personal past:
    • He has a medical history of asthma.
    • We need to consider the patient's family history.
Advanced Usage
  • "to make history": to do something so important that it will be recorded in history.
    • The scientist made history with her groundbreaking discovery.
  • "history repeats itself": said when the same situation or problem occurs again.
    • We must learn from past mistakes, or history will repeat itself.
  • "ancient history": something that happened a long time ago and is no longer relevant.
    • Their argument is ancient history; they've been friends for years since then.
Variants and Related Words
  • Historian (n): a person who studies or writes about history.
    • The historian published a new book on the Roman Empire.
  • Historical (adj): belonging to the past, not the present; based on or concerned with events in history.
    • They visited the historical site of the battle.
  • Historic (adj): famous or important in history, or potentially so.
    • The moon landing was a historic event.
  • Prehistory (n): the period of time before written records.
    • Archaeologists study artifacts from prehistory.
Synonyms
  • Chronicle: a factual written account of important or historical events in the order of their occurrence.
  • Annals: a record of events year by year.
  • Record: an account of something preserved in a permanent form.
Phrasal Verbs / Common Collocations
  • Go down in history: to be remembered or recorded in history for a particular reason.
    • His bravery will go down in history.
  • Be history: (informal) to be finished, destroyed, or no longer relevant.
    • If you break that vase, you're history!
Idioms
  • The rest is history: used to indicate that the subsequent events are well known.
    • They met in college, fell in love, and the rest is history.
  • A chapter in history: a distinct period or series of events.
    • The fall of the Berlin Wall marked the end of a chapter in history.
history

A student reads a history book in the library.

Noun
  1. all that is remembered of the past as preserved in writing; a body of knowledge
    • the dawn of recorded history
    • from the beginning of history
  2. the continuum of events occurring in succession leading from the past to the present and even into the future
    • all of human history
  3. the discipline that records and interprets past events involving human beings
    • he teaches Medieval history
    • history takes the long view
  4. a record or narrative description of past events
    • a history of France
    • he gave an inaccurate account of the plot to kill the president
    • the story of exposure to lead
  5. the aggregate of past events
    • a critical time in the school's history