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.

An oral history of how Gyopo, the arts and culture organization in L.A., came to be.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 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

Vaginal Davis on her L.A. beginnings and having fun while making an impact Visiting the in-demand Wendy L’Belle Tividad for a psychic reading Unpacking the oral history of jerkin’ and its lasting impact beyond L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025

“I just believe in service,” she said in an oral history interview with the Eastern Kentucky University Research Center for Special Collections & Archives.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

“It started with my oral history project,” I explain.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh