historian

noun

his·​to·​ri·​an hi-ˈstȯr-ē-ən 

-ˈstär-

1

: a student or writer of history

especially : one who produces a scholarly synthesis

2

: a writer or compiler of a chronicle

Synonyms of historian

• chronicler

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

Avis DeVoto, in Cambridge, MA, answered mail for her husband, the historian and novelist Bernard DeVoto. — Literary Hub, 13 July 2026

Yale Law Professor Akhil Amar, a constitutional historian, argued that the history of birthright citizenship is clear and not subject to revisionist thinking. — Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026

No one really knows how many the mob murdered that afternoon, but historians generally agree the number ranges from dozens to hundreds. — Lee Cowan, CBS News, 12 July 2026

Together, the actor and historian unpack the myth of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for historian

• chorion
• corean
• dorian
• saurian
• gregorian
• nestorian
• praetorian
• stentorian
• pythagorean
• valedictorian

Kids Definition

historian

noun

his·​to·​ri·​an his-ˈtōr-ē-ən 

-ˈtȯr-, 

-ˈtär-

: a student or writer of history