oral history

See synonyms for oral history on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. 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.

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

Origin of oral history

1
First recorded in 1970–75

Other words from oral history

  • oral historian, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use oral history in a sentence

  • The status of black servicemen in the integration era has attracted considerable attention among oral history enthusiasts.

  • A surprise oral history quiz caught her completely unprepared.

    The Secret Pact | Mildred A. Wirt

British Dictionary definitions for oral history

oral history

noun
  1. 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 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012