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.

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