history

history — noun

1. the connected series of past happenings, particularly the major ones that shape

1.nounA2
Definition

the connected series of past happenings, particularly the major ones that shape a country, a society, or a field of knowledge; also the academic subject in which people study, interpret, and write about those events.

Example

Tomás read about the history of Mexico before his trip to Oaxaca.

history of [place]

Professor Amani has written three books on African history.

[adjective] history as academic subject

Common collocations
  • recorded history
  • modern history
  • world history
  • human history
  • throughout history
  • in recorded history
Synonyms
  • the past

    broader term covering all earlier time, not just significant events

  • chronicle

    a written record, usually arranged by time; more formal than history

  • annals

    a year-by-year record; formal and somewhat literary

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

history of [place/subject]

[adjective] history

in history

Usage Note

Often modified by an adjective or an of-phrase to specify the domain (e.g., European history, the history of science). When referring to the school subject, it is uncountable.

Common Mistakes

I studied history book all night.
I studied a history book all night.
when history is used as an adjective before a countable noun, the noun needs an article.

2. a person, event, or situation from long ago that no longer carries any effect or

2.nounB2
Definition

a person, event, or situation from long ago that no longer carries any effect or importance in the present.

Example

That old argument with my neighbour is history now.

be history = be finished / irrelevant

To the younger gymnasts, her Olympic medals are already history.

Common collocations
  • be history
  • become history
  • ancient history
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • current

    still relevant or important now

  • ongoing

    still happening or active

Grammar Patterns

be history

become history

Usage Note

This sense nearly always appears in the predicate of a sentence rather than before a noun. Commonly used in informal conversation to dismiss something as no longer worth discussing.

Common Mistakes

The project is a history.
The project is history.
no article needed; history here is uncountable.

3. the set of documented facts about what an individual, a group, or an object has

3.nounB1
Definition

the set of documented facts about what an individual, a group, or an object has done or experienced over time — for example, medical treatments, jobs held, or websites visited.

Example

The doctor asked about Ishaan's family history of heart disease.

medical / family history

Before hiring, the company reviews each applicant's employment history.

Common collocations
  • medical history
  • family history
  • employment history
  • credit history
  • browser history
  • case history
  • service history
Synonyms
  • background

    broader term covering personal details including education and family; may not be as systematically documented

  • record

    emphasises the documentation itself rather than the content; more formal

  • track record

    focuses on past achievements or failures; slightly informal

Grammar Patterns

[adjective] history

[possessive] history

history of [noun]

Usage Note

Frequently appears in compound nouns such as medical history, credit history, browser history, employment history, and case history. These compounds often follow possessive or adjective patterns.

Common Mistakes

I need to see my history medical.
I need to see my medical history.
the descriptive adjective comes before history, not after it.
Idioms

the rest is history

idiom

used to say that the later part of a well-known story is so familiar that it does not need to be repeated.

Yael worked hard at her small bakery, and the rest is history — now she owns three shops.

They met at a conference in Kyoto, fell in love, and the rest is history.

ancient history

idiom

an event or situation that happened so long ago that it is no longer relevant or worth discussing.

Trang and Sora dated years ago, but that is ancient history now.

The team's loss last season is ancient history — they are focused on winning now.

make history

idiom

to do something very important or impressive that will be remembered and recorded for a long time.

The astronaut made history when she became the first person to walk on Mars.

The young musician made history by winning four awards in one night.

go down in history

idiom

to be remembered by future generations for one's actions or achievements.

Beatrix will go down in history as one of the greatest scientists of her time.

That election will go down in history as the closest race in decades.

be history

idiom

To be finished, dead, or no longer relevant.

If you break the rules again, you're history.

Our old argument is history now; let's move on.

the history books

idiom

The official record of important events or achievements in the past.

Her scientific discovery earned her a place in the history books.

The team's victory will be remembered in the history books.

history repeats itself

idiom

Similar events often happen again in the same way as before.

The war broke out again, showing that history repeats itself.

My son made the same mistake I did—history repeats itself.

make history | go down in history

idiom

To do something so important that it will be remembered and recorded for future generations.

The astronaut made history by walking on the moon.

Her speech was so powerful that it will go down in history.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

History and the past are closely related but differ in scope: the past refers to everything that has ever happened, while history usually implies a selective, meaningful account of past events. A chronicle is a strict year-by-year written record without much interpretation or analysis, making it narrower and more formal than history. Record focuses on documented facts — it can be as small as a single event (e.g., a medical record) and does not carry the sense of sweeping narrative that history does. For everyday use, history is the broadest term: you would say 'I studied history in school' but not 'I studied the past in school.' A chronicle is something you might read as a reference work, while a record is typically about a specific person or thing.

history ↗the pastchronicle ↗record ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • course of history
  • pages of history
  • turning point in history

Adverbs

  • throughout history
  • in recorded history
  • in modern history

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

History entered English from Latin historia, meaning 'narrative, account, or story of past events.' Latin borrowed it from Greek historia, which originally meant 'inquiry, knowledge gained by investigation' — coming from histor, 'a learned person or witness.' The word passed into English through Old French estoire and historie during the Middle Ages. Over time, its meaning narrowed from 'any story' to 'a factual account of the past' and then to 'the academic discipline that studies the past.'