history
gb/hˈɪstɚi/ us/hˈɪstɚi/
A2
English
~ 600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Study or record of past events
The study or story of things that happened in the past.
Usage pattern:
[someone] studies history
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'history' with 'story'; 'history' refers to real past events, while 'story' can be fiction.
Synonyms
chronicle (Usually a detailed written account of events in order of time)
Antonyms
future (Refers to events that have not yet happened, opposite of past events)
Collocations
ancient history
|modern history
|world history
|history lesson
|history book
Themes
education
|culture
|time
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She is studying world history at university.
- The book gives a detailed history of the city.
- History tells us that such conflicts are common.
Learner examples
- I like to read about history.
- We learn history at school.
- History is about things that happened before.
Noun
B1
entity
2
All past events collectively
Everything that has happened in the past.
Usage pattern:
in history
Common mistake:
Sometimes learners use 'histories' incorrectly when referring to general past events; 'history' is usually uncountable in this sense.
Synonyms
past (General term for time before now; less formal and can be personal or historical)
Antonyms
present (The current moment, not the past)
Collocations
throughout history
|in history
|moment in history
Themes
time
|culture
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Throughout history, people have sought freedom.
- This event changed the course of history.
- It was the first time in history that women could vote.
Learner examples
- Many wars happened in history.
- In history, people used horses to travel.
- This is an important day in history.
Noun
B1
entity
3
Past experiences or background
Information about what someone or something did in the past.
Usage pattern:
[someone] has a history of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'history' with 'story' when talking about personal background; 'history' is factual, 'story' can be made up.
Synonyms
background (More general term for someone's life details; not always about events)
Antonyms
clean record (No negative events in someone's background)
Collocations
medical history
|criminal history
|family history
Themes
personal
|health
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He has a history of heart problems.
- The suspect has a long criminal history.
- Her family has a history of working in education.
Learner examples
- I have a history of allergies.
- He has a criminal history.
- My family has a history of teachers.
Grammar
Dictionary form
history
IPA
GB/hˈɪstɚi/
US/hˈɪstɚi/
Syllables & stress
his - tory (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (his)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: history
- Plural: histories, history
Word family
Forms
histories
noun
Core family
Related words
Advanced or less common
historiography
noun
historiographical
adjective
Expressions
a piece of history
1/ə pˈis əv hˈɪstɚi/
fixed phrase
Object or event from the past with value
Something from the past that is important or interesting.
Examples
- Owning this old letter is like holding a piece of history.
- That building is a piece of history in our town.
the rest is history
1/ðə ɹˈɛst ˈɪz hˈɪstɚi/
idiom
informal
Outcome after an event is obvious or famous
Used to say that everyone knows what happened after something started.
Examples
- They met at college, and the rest is history.
- He started his own business, and the rest is history.
go down in history
1/ɡˈoʊ dˈaʊn ˈɪn hˈɪstɚi/
idiom
Be remembered in history
To be remembered as an important person or event in the past.
Examples
- The day will go down in history as one of the greatest victories.
- His speech will go down in history for its powerful message.
go down in history
2/ɡˈoʊ dˈaʊn ˈɪn hˈɪstɚi/
idiom
Be remembered as historically important
To be remembered as an important person or event in the future.
Examples
- This day will go down in history as a turning point.
- The speech went down in history for its powerful message.
history repeats itself
1/hˈɪstɚi ɹɪpˈits ɪtsˈɛlf/
idiom
Past events happen again
Things that happened before often happen again in a similar way.
Examples
- They say history repeats itself when people make the same mistakes as in the past.
- Wars show that history repeats itself.
history repeats itself
2/hˈɪstɚi ɹɪpˈits ɪtsˈɛlf/
idiom
Similar events recur over time
The same kinds of events happen again and again over time.
Examples
- Some say history repeats itself in politics.
- History repeats itself when lessons are not learned.
make history
1/mˈeɪk hˈɪstɚi/
idiom
Do something memorable for history
To do something very important that people will remember in the future.
Examples
- She made history by becoming the first woman to win the award.
- The team made history with their record-breaking victory.
make history
2/mˈeɪk hˈɪstɚi/
idiom
Do something historic or unprecedented
To do something important that will be remembered in the future.
Examples
- The team made history by winning the championship for the first time.
- She made history as the first woman to lead the company.