oral history

noun

information of historical or sociological importance obtained usually by tape-recorded interviews with persons whose experiences and memories are representative or whose lives have been of special significance.

a book, article, recording, or transcription of such information.

Origin:
1970–75

Related forms

oral historian, noun

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Collins

World English Dictionary

oral history

—n
	the memories of living people about events or social conditions which they experienced in their earlier lives taped and preserved as historical evidence

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Matching Quote

"After I discovered the real life of mothers bore little resemblance to the plot outlined in most of the books and articles I'd read, I started relying on the expert advice of other mothers—especially those with sons a few years older than mine. This great body of knowledge is essentially an oral history, because anyone engaged in motherhood on a daily basis has no time to write an advice book about it."

-Mary Kay Blakely

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