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Meaning & use

history buff

noun·Everydayinformal

Last updated

UK/ˈhɪstri ˌbʌf/
US/ˈhɪstri ˌbʌf/

Meaning

  1. nouncountableinformal

    A person who is very interested in history and enjoys learning about it as a hobby.

    Grammar: Countable: a history buff, many history buffs.

    Patterns

    • a history buff who likes something
    • a history buff about something

    My grandfather is a real history buff and visits every castle he can.

    The museum is popular with history buffs of all ages.

    As a history buff, she read three biographies of Lincoln.

Word forms

pluralhistory buffs

Common combinations

avid history buff
He is an avid history buff who collects old maps.
self-confessed history buff
A self-confessed history buff, she knows every date.
history buff's dream
The old town is a history buff's dream.
fellow history buff
I met a fellow history buff at the lecture.
for history buffs
This tour is perfect for history buffs.

Synonyms and how they differ

history enthusiast
History enthusiast is a little more formal than history buff but means the same.
historian
A historian studies and writes about history as a profession, whereas a history buff is only a hobbyist.
history nerd
History nerd is more playful and may sound slightly mocking.
antiquarian
An antiquarian collects or studies old objects, a narrower and more old-fashioned idea.

Word family

history noun
the study of the past
historic adjective
important in history
historical adjective
relating to the past
historian noun
an expert on history
buff noun
an enthusiast

Commonly confused: history buff or historian?

history buff vs historian

A historian is a professional expert, while a history buff is an amateur enthusiast.

Practice

My brother is a history buff, so he probably ____.

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