historian

noun

his·​to·​ri·​an hi-ˈstȯr-ē-ən How to pronounce historian (audio)
-ˈstär-
1
: a student or writer of history
especially : one who produces a scholarly synthesis
2
: a writer or compiler of a chronicle

Examples of historian in a Sentence

historians are still trying to sort out fact from fiction in the story of Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks
Recent Examples on the Web At the time, vigilante groups in Los Angeles often targeted Native Americans and people of color, according to multiple historians. Alexandra E. Petri, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2023 Like many historians of his period, Morgan asks us to see modern relevance in the power struggles of a relatively ignored and disappointing band of American leaders. C.w. Goodyear, WSJ, 6 Dec. 2023 History has always been a contentious field, reflecting the biases of both the historian and society. Mike Coté, National Review, 3 Dec. 2023 Reagan historian looks back at historic O'Connor appointment: 'most qualified' ... Fox News Staff, Fox News, 1 Dec. 2023 Yet post-Reconstruction historians deliberately erased Stevens’ legacy, in both mainstream academia and popular culture. Tracy Schorn, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Dec. 2023 The exhibition will also shine a special spotlight on Miami’s own Hip Hop history, capturing it through the lenses of local historian and photographer Derick G and photographer Esdras T. Thelusma. Erica Wertheim Zohar, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 Charles, an author, historian and podcast host, walked behind Diana’s coffin during her funeral procession with Prince William, Prince Harry, now-King Charles and Prince Philip. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 28 Nov. 2023 In one showdown in the early 1970s, Dr. Le Roy Ladurie joined with colleagues to oust his mentor, historian Fernand Braudel, from positions including as editor of Annales magazine. Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 25 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'historian.' 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

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of historian was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near historian

Cite this Entry

“Historian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/historian. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

historian

noun
his·​to·​ri·​an his-ˈtōr-ē-ən How to pronounce historian (audio)
-ˈtȯr-,
-ˈtär-
: a student or writer of history

More from Merriam-Webster on historian

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