Meaning & use
we have history
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Used to say that two people share a complicated past, especially a romantic one.
Grammar: Use it with 'we' or 'they'; it is not used with 'I' alone.
Patterns
- we have history
- they have history
Don't set them up on a date — they have history.
She avoided him at the party because they have history.
We have history, but we've learned to work together.
phrasefixed phrase
Used to say that two people or groups have had past disagreements or conflicts.
Grammar: Often used about rival teams, companies, or families.
Patterns
- the two teams have history
- we have history with someone
The two clubs have history, so the match will be tense.
Our families have history going back decades.
We have history with that supplier, so be careful.
Common combinations
- have history with someone
- I have history with her from college.
- a lot of history
- They have a lot of history between them.
- share a history
- The two countries share a long history.
Synonyms and how they differ
- have a past
- Similar, but often suggests secrets or a bad reputation rather than shared experience.
- have baggage
- Stronger and more negative; it suggests emotional problems from past relationships.
Word family
- history noun
- The past events of a person, place, or thing.
- historical adjective
- Connected with the past or the study of history.
Commonly confused: we have history or make history?
we have history vs make history
'Make history' means to do something important that will be remembered; 'have history' is about a shared personal past.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'we have history' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 uses the idiom to mean a shared complicated past. Option 1 is about a school subject, not the idiom. Option 2 is missing 'a' and does not fit the idiom. Option 3 uses the wrong preposition and is not grammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “we have history”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.