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
Cathrin Schaer, Footwear News, 14 May 2026
So having the supervised students give their labor follows a historical precedent.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
To find a historical equivalent, scientists have had to reach all the way back to 1877, when a merciless El Niño unleashed death on a scale few events can rival.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 14 May 2026
That Pawlikowski is telling a story of actual historical figures proves a fascinating challenge for a filmmaker who has previously invented characters to serve as historical reminders.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for historical
Cite this Entry
“Historical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/historical. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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historical
adjective
