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

On Monday, he was posthumously named a national hero of Indonesia – prompting protests from human rights groups and victims who decried the award as whitewashing a repressive regime that left hundreds of thousands dead, according to historians. —Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025

The school was opened in part through a $700,000 grant from the Department of Defense, according to John Karyan, a math professor at Lindsey who also acts as the school’s unofficial historian. —Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025

The most meticulous work on this subject was carried out by David Noble, a historian of technology. —Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025

The issue most associated with the establishment of both parties right now — for reasons future historians can decipher — is support for Israel. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 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