oral history

NOUN

spoken historical recollection

Synonyms

WEAK

firsthand account folk literature narrative history oral record survivors' account witnesses' account

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Inside one of the oldest barbershops in Boyle Heights, Rodney Trammell gave an oral history of Brooklyn Avenue before it was renamed after civil rights leader Cesar E. Chavez.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

The oral history includes McCartney’s defense of that track: “The truth is, it was catchy.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

“I wanted to see how it works,” he said in a 2013 oral history recorded by the Computer History Museum.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

Visiting the in-demand Wendy L’Belle Tividad for a psychic reading On making music for ‘the freaks’ with the Egyptian Lover Unpacking the oral history of jerkin’ and its lasting impact beyond L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

As she prepares dinner, I try to finalize the edits to my oral history project, but Mom finishes cooking before I’m done.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh