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
Evan Bush, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025
The historical drama stars Jenna Coleman as Queen Victoria and follows the monarch from her childhood to her ascension to the throne in the mid-19th century.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
The ultra-thin complication is not new for Vacheron in terms of historical precedent.
—Carol Besler, Robb Report, 4 Dec. 2025
Both cities are located on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and host large Chinese populations due to historical immigration patterns.
—Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 4 Dec. 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 6 Dec. 2025.
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historical
adjective
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