history */*/*/

UK [ˈhɪst(ə)rɪ] / US noun
Word forms "history":
singular history plural histories

Collocations:

A history is a book, film, television programme etc about real events that happened in the past of a particular place, activity, or group of people: He has written a history of Rome. ♦ I am reading a history of photography. A story is an account of real or imaginary events in the past or the future, and is usually intended to be entertaining instead of educational: She writes stories about fairies and witches. ♦ They told me the story of how they met.

1) [uncountable] the whole of time before the present, and all things that happened in that time

in recorded history:

These temperatures are the highest in recorded history.

throughout history:

Attitudes to gender roles have changed throughout history.

recent history:

Simpson is perhaps the most famous American in recent history to be charged with murder.

a) [singular/uncountable] the things that have happened in a particular place or to a particular group of people

I'm writing a book on this area's history.

The University has a distinguished history.

the history of Spain

world/Western history

a chequered history (= in which both good and bad things have happened):

an unusual building with a chequered history

b) [countable/uncountable] all the things that a particular person has done or experienced

I feel like a part of my history has been taken away.

medical history:

It's important to consider a child's medical history.

c) [singular/uncountable] the way that a particular subject or object has developed or changed throughout its existence

the history of economic thought

literary/archaeological history

a landmark in the history of something:

This book was a landmark in the history of English fiction.

2) [uncountable] the study of the events of the past

He teaches history at the local school.

history books

3) [countable] an account of the events that happened during a particular period of the past

history of:

a history of the Romans

The book provides a comprehensive history of the Second World War.

4) [countable/uncountable] the length of time that something has existed

For the first time in its 70-year history the club has admitted women members.

trace something's history (= follow or describe something's past, back to a particular time):

The village can trace its history back to 1078.

•

history will show/record/judge etc — used for talking about the way that someone or something will be remembered or considered in the future

History will show that the government's reforms were misplaced.

- be history

- go down in history

- have a history of something

- history in the making

- history is repeating itself

- make history

- the rest is history