historical
adjective
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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
Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Align product, pricing and go-to-market strategies with where your most profitable future growth lies, not just your historical wins.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Contemporary Black Paris Today, Black Paris is not just a historical concept but a living, breathing cultural phenomenon.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 18 June 2025
Members of the congregation placed important documents and the history of the church in a copper box embedded in the cornerstone, though only a few of the charter members who organized the congregation in 1858 were living and present at the ceremony, historical documents said.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 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 23 Jun. 2025.
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historical
adjective
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