natural history

noun

1

: a treatise on some aspect of nature

2

: the natural development of something (such as an organism or disease) over a period of time

3

: the study of natural objects especially in the field from an amateur or popular point of view

Examples of natural history in a Sentence

the natural history of bees

We went to the Natural History Museum.

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the things a lot of us in the paleontological community are hopeful for is that the bidder that purchased Apex has a long history of working with natural history museums and putting those specimens on display and doing a lot of paleontological and museum educational outreach. —Abc News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2024

Here, guests can explore a range of exhibits, including those on religion, the nation's natural history, and even everyday life here in Liechtenstein. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2024

Some say private buyers obtain fossils legally and there is nothing wrong with displaying them in private collections, while others say fossils are pieces of natural history and should only be displayed in museums and research institutions. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 27 July 2024

Until then, intrepid travelers can pass like spirits through the canyons, witnessing untouched physical beauty and raw natural history. —Laura Dannen Redman, TIME, 25 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

natural history

noun

: the study of natural objects and especially plants and animals as they live in nature from an amateur or popular point of view

Medical Definition

natural history

noun

: the natural development of something (as an organism or disease) over a period of time

increasing knowledge of the natural histories of tumors

—H. S. N. Greene