Official history, also known as dominant narrative or sanctioned history, refers to the account of events and information that has been approved or recognized by a particular authority or institution. Synonyms for official history include established narrative, approved version, accepted account, authorized record, conventional history, mainstream perspective, and traditional storyline. The term official history is often used in a critical sense to signal the partiality or bias of a given account of events, particularly when it reflects the values and interests of a dominant group. Alternative or counter-histories can challenge official histories by presenting marginalized perspectives, contesting established assumptions, and uncovering suppressed truths.