歴史学(れきしがく)

れきしがく
noun
history (as an academic discipline); historical studies
education
1. history (as an academic discipline); historiography; historical studies
The academic field that studies and interprets the human past through documentary, archaeological, and other evidence. Distinguished from 歴史(れきし) (history as a subject or the past itself) by emphasizing the systematic, scholarly study of history.
歴史学(れきしがく)を学(まな)ぶ。
To study history (as a discipline).
大学(だいがく)で歴史学(れきしがく)を専攻(せんこう)している。
I am majoring in history at university.
歴史学(れきしがく)の研究(けんきゅう)には、原典(げんてん)にあたる姿勢(しせい)が欠(か)かせない。
In historical research, consulting primary sources is indispensable.
歴史学(れきしがく)は単(たん)に過去(かこ)を記録(きろく)するのではなく、資料(しりょう)を批判的(ひはんてき)に分析(ぶんせき)する学問(がくもん)だ。
The study of history is not merely recording the past, but a discipline that critically analyzes sources.

Composed of 歴史(れきし) (history) and 学(がく) (study, scholarship, discipline). The suffix 学(がく) turns a topic into the name of an academic discipline (cf. 生物学(せいぶつがく) biology, 経済学(けいざいがく) economics, 哲学(てつがく) philosophy).

Usage

  • Used in academic, university, and scholarly contexts
  • Refers to the discipline itself, its methods, and the body of scholarship
  • Not used when simply referring to past events or school-subject history — use 歴史(れきし) for those

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 歴史(れきし): history — refers to the past itself, or to history as a school subject; broader and more everyday
  • 史学(しがく): historical studies — a shorter synonym of 歴史学(れきしがく), often appearing in department names like 史学科(しがくか)
  • 歴史(れきし)家(か): historian (popular writer) — often used for writers or popularizers rather than academic historians
  • 歴史(れきし)学者(がくしゃ): historian (scholar) — emphasizes academic credentials; near-synonym of 歴史学(れきしがく)者(しゃ)

Related Words

Related: 考古学(こうこがく) (archaeology)
general
Added 2026.4.14 9:46 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
23500/23679_rekishigaku