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

• 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

The 300-year-old coins were found over the summer on a shipwreck believed to have been part of the notorious 1715 Fleet, a group of about a dozen Spanish treasure ships that sank during a hurricane, historians say. —Mark Price, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025

Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. —Time, 30 Sep. 2025

They get lost when historians focus on the people who hold political power rather than the people who adopt children or get abused by a spouse. —Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025

Railway enthusiasts and amateur historians alike may also want to leisurely explore the town of Cass. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for historian

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

Kids Definition

historian

noun

his·​to·​ri·​an his-ˈtōr-ē-ən 

-ˈtȯr-,

-ˈtär-

: a student or writer of history