historical
adjective
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
Nick Crain, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
AccuWeather is predicting that 2025 Atlantic hurricane season will be less active than 2024 — one of the most destructive on record — but at or above historical averages from 1990 to 2020.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2025
The latest revelation underscores concerns over Russia's reach and Vienna's historical vulnerabilities to foreign infiltration, particularly after last year's arrest of a former Austrian intelligence officer accused of leaking sensitive data to Moscow.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
In addition to the structure, historical documents, bronze vessels and remains of ancient furniture were also found.
—Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, FOXNews.com, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for historical
Cite this Entry
“Historical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/historical. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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historical
adjective
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