historical

adjective

his·​tor·​i·​cal hi-ˈstȯr-i-kəl 

-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

a

: secondary sense 1c

b

: diachronic

historical grammar

historicalness

hi-ˈstȯr-i-kəl-nəs 

-ˈstär-

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).

Synonyms

• documentary
• factual
• hard
• literal
• matter-of-fact
• nonfictional
• objective
• true

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 filmmaker is already developing several new projects exploring different periods in Chinese history, continuing her interest in finding contemporary answers through historical examination. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Feb. 2025

Companies can make immersive replicas of historical sites or cultural experiences, charging fees for virtual tours, education or events. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025

Maps and kitchen equipment are historical artifacts. —Vanessa Anderson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2025

Synopsis In this presentation, storyteller and sustainability activist Aditi Mayer explores how fashion can be a medium for social and environmental justice—examining the intersections of craft, climate, and culture through both personal stories and historical frameworks. —Photovogue, Vogue, 18 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing historical

• anti-historical
• art historical
• historical materialism
• historical museum
• historical present
• historical society

Kids Definition

historical

adjective

his·​tor·​i·​cal his-ˈtȯr-i-kəl 

-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

: historic sense 2

historically

-i-k(ə-)lē

adverb

historicalness

-i-kəl-nəs 

noun