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
Plot details for the sequel are still under wraps, though Frankel and McKenna told EW in a 2021 oral history celebrating the original film's 15th birthday that a potential continuation wouldn't be easy to make.
—
EW.com, 21 July 2025
Lots of people might associate oral history with teaching or preserving history.
—Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
What this book does incredibly well is document an oral history of Polish resistance that has, until now, only been told in bits and pieces.
—Valorie Castellanos Clark, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
Rodriguez also listed having worked as a coordinator and an oral history researcher from 2023 to 2024 for The HistoryMakers, a nonprofit organization in Chicago that collects video oral history of Black Americans.
—Kailani Koenig, NBC news, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for oral history
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EW.com, 21 July 2025
Lots of people might associate oral history with teaching or preserving history.
—Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
What this book does incredibly well is document an oral history of Polish resistance that has, until now, only been told in bits and pieces.
—Valorie Castellanos Clark, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
Rodriguez also listed having worked as a coordinator and an oral history researcher from 2023 to 2024 for The HistoryMakers, a nonprofit organization in Chicago that collects video oral history of Black Americans.
—Kailani Koenig, NBC news, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for oral history
Cite this Entry
“Oral history.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oral%20history. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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