ahistorical

adjective

ahis·​tor·​i·​cal ˌā-hi-ˈstȯr-i-kəl How to pronounce ahistorical (audio)
-ˈstär-
variants or ahistoric
: not concerned with or related to history, historical development, or tradition
an ahistorical attitude
also : historically inaccurate or ignorant
an ahistorical version of events
ahistorically adverb
ahistoricism noun
ahistoricity noun

Examples of ahistorical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But no genuine originalist would make an astonishing, ridiculous, and utterly ahistorical assertion like the one in the Journal interview. Norman J. Ornstein, The New Republic, 11 Sep. 2023 Many people in the Bay Area were influenced by effective altruism, an ethos that purports to reinvent philanthropy from first principles, but which struck Hunt-Hendrix as glib and ahistorical. Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2023 It’s been a relief to see Carrie diving into the dating pool again, even if her all-consuming new relationship with Aidan—not to mention this week’s ahistorical dithering over whether Big was a mistake—feels a bit hasty. Time, 3 Aug. 2023 At times, however, even this part of his analysis is flawed and ahistorical. Bridget L. Coggins, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022 That there’s no acknowledgment of any of this, in a show dealing with cops and a group like the Phalanx, is ahistorical and downright bizarre. Bonnie Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2023 This blizzard of weapons regulations makes the contemporary inability to enact similar laws seem both ahistorical and contrary to the fundamental goal of protecting the public and preserving public order. Robert J. Spitzer, Time, 6 June 2023 In some ways, Feliciano’s story reflects an ahistorical view of Latin music perpetuated by Anglo media: the idea that Latin artists exist in boom cycles, only relevant when they’re deemed popular by Anglo audiences. Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2023 Compared with such utterly ahistorical visions, unmoored from reality, the articles gathered in this issue are actually quite tame. Vaclav Smil, IEEE Spectrum, 3 June 2018 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ahistorical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ahistorical was in 1911

Dictionary Entries Near ahistorical

Cite this Entry

“Ahistorical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ahistorical. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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