family history

noun

: past occurrences (of a medical or mental health condition) in family members or past incidences (of a type of behavior) by family members

They have a family history of heart disease.

a family history of violence

: a record of one's ancestors

He can trace his family history all the way back to the Pilgrims.

Examples of family history in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

To help identify your own risk, start with learning about your family history of heart disease and know your numbers; specifically, high blood pressure, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and elevated blood sugar levels are all risk factors for heart disease. —

Lori B Daniels, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025 Piñata Prayers | Dir. Daniel Larios; 2025; USA, El Salvador; 24 min Breaking down the colonial tradition of piñatas, this personal film probes into a loss of faith while retracing a family history. —

Addie Morfoot, Variety, 5 Feb. 2025 Heart health awareness is an important topic for the pro skateboarder because of his family history. —

Skyler Caruso, People.com, 3 Feb. 2025 Alessandro Nivola on the improvisation and family history that shaped his role in The Brutalist. —

Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for family history

Cite this Entry

Style

“Family history.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/family%20history. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

Copy Citation