Definitions for: History


[n] the discipline that records and interprets past events involving human beings; "he teaches Medieval history"; "history takes the long view"
[n] 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"
[n] 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"
[n] the aggregate of past events; "a critical time in the school's history"
[n] the continuum of events occurring in succession leading from the past to the present and even into the future; "all of human history"



Webster (1913) Definition: His"to*ry, n.; pl. Histories. [L. historia, Gr.
'istori`a history, information, inquiry, fr. 'istwr, "istwr,
knowing, learned, from the root of ? to know; akin to E. wit.
See Wit, and cf. Story.]
1. A learning or knowing by inquiry; the knowledge of facts
and events, so obtained; hence, a formal statement of such
information; a narrative; a description; a written record;
as, the history of a patient's case; the history of a
legislative bill.

2. A systematic, written account of events, particularly of
those affecting a nation, institution, science, or art,
and usually connected with a philosophical explanation of
their causes; a true story, as distinguished from a
romance; -- distinguished also from annals, which relate
simply the facts and events of each year, in strict
chronological order; from biography, which is the record
of an individual's life; and from memoir, which is history
composed from personal experience, observation, and
memory.

Histories are as perfect as the historian is wise,
and is gifted with an eye and a soul. --Carlyle.

For aught that I could ever read, Could ever hear by
tale or history. --Shak.

What histories of toil could I declare! --Pope.

History piece, a representation in painting, drawing, etc.,
of any real event, including the actors and the action.

Natural history, a description and classification of
objects in nature, as minerals, plants, animals, etc., and
the phenomena which they exhibit to the senses.

Syn: Chronicle; annals; relation; narration.

Usage: History, Chronicle, Annals. History is a
methodical record of important events which concern a
community of men, usually so arranged as to show the
connection of causes and effects, to give an analysis
of motive and action etc. A chronicle is a record of
such events, conforming to the order of time as its
distinctive feature. Annals are a chronicle divided up
into separate years. By poetic license annals is
sometimes used for history.

Justly C[ae]sar scorns the poet's lays; It is to
history he trusts for praise. --Pope.

No more yet of this; For 't is a chronicle of
day by day, Not a relation for a breakfast.
--Shak.

Many glorious examples in the annals of our
religion. --Rogers.


His"to*ry, v. t.
To narrate or record. [Obs.] --Shak.

Synonyms: account, chronicle, story

See Also: ancient history, annals, antiquity, arts, biography, case history, chronological record, cognition, continuum, dark ages, etymology, historic period, historical document, historical paper, historical record, humanistic discipline, humanities, knowledge, liberal arts, life, life history, life story, middle ages, noesis, past, past times, recital, record, Renaissance, yesteryear, yore

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