historical

adjective

his·​tor·​i·​cal hi-ˈstȯr-i-kəl How to pronounce historical (audio)
-ˈstär-
1
a
: of, relating to, or having the character of history
historical data
b
: based on history
historical novels
c
: used in the past and reproduced in historical presentations
2
: famous in history : historic sense a
3
b
: diachronic
historical grammar
historicalness noun

Did you know?

historic or historical?

Do you experience a slight pause before using either of these words as you try to remember which one is correct and whether it should be preceded by an or a? If so, you’re not alone, for many people find this pair particularly tricky. Historic and historical are both occasionally found preceded by an, since the initial h in each word was formerly left unpronounced. Now this h is heard, and a is far more common than an (by a ratio of about 4 to 1 in American English).

Historic and historical have been used interchangeably by many writers, even in recent years. If you would like to avoid being corrected, however, use historical for matters relating to history (the historical society), and historic to refer to things having great and lasting importance (a historic occasion).

Examples of historical in a Sentence

He strove for historical accuracy in the movie. The kings are listed in historical order.
Recent Examples on the Web The traditional institution of the church may not seem like the most natural partner for modernist architecture, yet the impact and legacy of World War II provides important social and historical context for their emergence. Suyin Haynes, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 Its 10 suites might be named after historical figures (presidents, mostly), but the decor is anything but traditional. Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024 Spend the afternoon wandering through the galleries before picking up a book to take home—the museum offers popular historical novels. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2024 Some people didn’t agree with the finding that his home wasn’t historical, while others didn’t think his family should have an accessory dwelling unit (or ADU). Byalena Botros, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024 What was the most challenging part of shooting this sweeping historical drama? William Earl, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024 Yes, the painting evokes a specific historical event: a Basque town razed by German bombs. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Southern seedlings of native species would be planted farther north but within their historical range. Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024 In an effort to diversify the communities represented and the stories told by state historical markers, the Wisconsin Historical Society is inviting community groups to apply for new historical markers to add to the more than 600 markers throughout the state. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'historical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of historical was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near historical

Cite this Entry

“Historical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/historical. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

historical

adjective
his·​tor·​i·​cal his-ˈtȯr-i-kəl How to pronounce historical (audio)
-ˈtär-
1
a
: of, relating to, or having the character of history
historical fact
b
: based on history
historical novels
c
: of, relating to, or exhibiting objects from the past
a historical museum
2
historically
-i-k(ə-)lē
adverb
historicalness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on historical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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