historic

adjective his·tor·ic \ hi-ˈstȯr-ik , -ˈstär- \

|Updated on: 3 Aug 2018

Examples: historic in a Sentence

Editor's Note: historic or historical?

Definition of historic

: historical: such as

a : famous or important in history

historic battlefields

b : having great and lasting importance

a historic occasion

c : known or established in the past

historic interest rates

d : dating from or preserved from a past time or culture

historic buildings

historic artifacts

See historic defined for English-language learners

See historic defined for kids

Examples of historic in a Sentence

It's wonderful to see so many people here on this historic occasion.
She returned safely from her historic flight into space.
The court made a historic decision last week.
They know of many historic volcanic eruptions in the area.
the historic importance of the river

Recent Examples of historic from the Web

How much: $1,398,000 Bedrooms: 3 Baths: 3 Square feet: About 6,000 Key features: Very large historic loft just off Michigan Avenue has had a massive renovation, creating three bedrooms and 3 baths, new kitchen.

— judy rose, Detroit Free Press, "Former Corktown bachelor pad is now a loft fit for the whole family," 14 July 2018
This is a historic day for all of us,’’ President Isaias Afwerki said.

— BostonGlobe.com, "6 dead after attackers target presidential palace," 14 July 2018
Following historic #TaxCuts, Suit-Kote announced a 5% raise for ALL 800+ employees!

— refinery29.com, "What Ivanka Did This Week: Pavers, Protests & Paid Family Leave," 13 July 2018
The Valley Center History Museum, chock full of exhibits, memorabilia and historic documents having to do with everything Valley Center, has done quite well for itself since opening 15 years ago.

— j. harry jones, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Small Valley Center history museum draws big crowds," 13 July 2018
The condo towers would be next to several single-story and two-story historic homes.

— richard webner, San Antonio Express-News, "Condo towers would bring taste of New York to Tobin Hill," 13 July 2018
During the day, the mansion hosted activities for the whole family, including information about historic preservation and a scavenger hunt.

— sara ervin walser, Laurel Leader, "Montpelier shindig raises repair money [South Laurel]," 12 July 2018
In addition to offering prospective buyers breathtaking views of downtown Los Angeles, the historic home, which occupies a half-acre lot on the hillside, features four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a screening/billiard room, a guest house and a pool.

— maria pasquini, PEOPLE.com, "Famous Blade Runner House Listed for $23 Million: See the Photos!," 12 July 2018
The second, larger ghost has hidden in the temple’s historic ballroom for more than half a century.

— maria l. la ganga, idahostatesman, "What’s behind ’60s-era paneling at El Korah Shrine? A ballroom’s worth of ’20s art.," 12 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'historic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

historic or historical?

Do you experience a slight pause before using either of these words as you try to remember which one is correct and whether it should be preceded by an or a? If so, you’re not alone, for many people find this pair particularly tricky. Historic and historical are both occasionally found preceded by an, since the initial h in each word was formerly left unpronounced. Now this h is heard, and a is far more common than an (by a ratio of about 4 to 1 in American English).

Historic and historical have been used interchangeably by many writers, even in recent years. If you would like to avoid being corrected, however, use historical for matters relating to history (the historical society), and historic to refer to things having great and lasting importance (a historic occasion).