oral history

noun

1
: a recording containing information about the past obtained from in-depth interviews concerning personal experiences, recollections, and reflections
also : the study of such information
2
: a written work based on oral history
oral historian noun

Examples of oral history in a Sentence

I'm reading an oral history of the Great Depression.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Years later, executive producer and writer Liz Sarnoff explained it in Vulture's oral history of the Lost finale. Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 23 May 2026 Each tribe or nation in the region passes down their own oral histories about this spectacular landform, but there are similarities among them. Kelsey Olsen, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026 Privacy Policy Check out our other newsletters This is the computer scientist Paul Baran, speaking in an oral history recorded by the Charles Babbage Institute in 1990. Laura Isensee, Scientific American, 18 May 2026 In Congress, Letlow sponsored a bill to collect oral histories from during the pandemic and has focused on education and children. Sam Gringlas, NPR, 16 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for oral history

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of oral history was in 1950

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Cite this Entry

“Oral history.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oral%20history. Accessed 27 May. 2026.

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