This is the 2084th most frequent Japanese word.
史
"History" or "chronicle."
The word '史' is used to mean 'history' and is part of the compound word '日本史' ('Japanese history').
彼は日本史を研究しています。
He studies Japanese history.
The word '史' appears as a component in '歴史' ('history'), indicating a general concept of history.
この本は歴史的な事実を述べています。
This book describes historical facts.
The word '史' is used here to refer to history and is juxtaposed with '詩' ('poetry'), demonstrating its abstract use.