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

Now, thanks to a new grant, the archive will expand its collection to include oral histories as well. —Molly-Jo Tilton, NPR, 28 Feb. 2025

Today, the Elaine Legacy Center preserves oral histories while advancing Elaine’s transformation into a cultural hub that merges historical reckoning with economic justice. —Christmaelle Vernet & Kathy Roberts Forde / Made By History, TIME, 28 Feb. 2025

While many Black Americans knew their family history through oral histories passed down over the generations, digging into and embracing that history was not as common. —Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025

Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival is an upcoming oral history about the Lollapalooza festival, from its genesis as a farewell tour for Jane’s Addiction in 1991 to becoming a counterculture touchstone by the end of the decade. —Billboard Staff, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for oral history

• ethnohistory
• consistory
• mystery