noun pl. histories -·ries

1. an account of what has or might have happened, esp. in the form of a narrative, play, story, or tale
2. 1. what has happened in the life or development of a people, country, institution, etc.
   2. a systematic account of this, usually in chronological order with an analysis and explanation
3. all recorded events of the past
4. the branch of knowledge that deals systematically with the past; a recording, analyzing, correlating, and explaining of past events
5. a known or recorded past the strange history of his coat
6. 1. something that belongs to the past the election is history now
   2. Informal someone or something regarded as no longer important, relevant, useful, etc.
7. something important enough to be recorded
8. Rare a scientific account of a system of natural phenomena natural history
9. a record of a person's medical condition, treatments received, etc. her medical history

Etymology: ME < L historia < Gr, a learning by inquiry, narrative < histōr, knowing, learned < base of eidenai, to know < IE base *weid-, to see, know > wise