Definition of HISTORIC

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).

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 on the Web

Hap eventually bought out Tony and worked his way to becoming a Master Joyner where his work can be found on many 17th and 18th Century historic homes throughout New England. — courant.com, "Galen Shepherd," 15 Sep. 2019 Still, the damage was far less than feared in many parts of the Carolinas, including historic Charleston, South Carolina, which is prone to flooding even from ordinary storms, and Wilmington, North Carolina, the state's biggest coastal city. — Fox News, "Hurricane Dorian sets sights on Canada after 'biblical' flooding in North Carolina," 8 Sep. 2019 Still, the damage was far less than feared in many parts of the Carolinas, including historic Charleston, South Carolina, which is prone to flooding even from ordinary storms, and Wilmington, North Carolina, the state’s biggest coastal city. — Washington Post, "Dorian leaves North Carolina behind, aims wrath at Canada," 7 Sep. 2019 Still, the damage was far less than feared in many parts of the Carolinas, including historic Charleston, South Carolina, which is prone to flooding even from ordinary storms, and Wilmington, North Carolina, the state's biggest coastal city. — Ben Finley, Anchorage Daily News, "Stranded North Carolinians take stock of Dorian’s damage as storm bands reach Nova Scotia," 7 Sep. 2019 Still, the damage was far less than feared in many parts of the Carolinas, including historic Charleston, South Carolina, which is prone to flooding even from ordinary storms, and Wilmington, North Carolina, the state’s biggest coastal city. — Ben Finley, The Denver Post, "Dorian’s floodwaters trap people in attics in North Carolina," 6 Sep. 2019 Along King Street in historic Charleston, South Carolina, dozens of shops and restaurants typically bustling with tourists were boarded up, plywood and corrugated metal over windows and doors, as the flood-prone downtown area braced for high water. — Marko Álvarez, Time, "The Death Toll from Hurricane Dorian in the Devastated Bahamas Climbs to 20," 5 Sep. 2019 Along King Street in historic Charleston, S.C., dozens of shops and restaurants typically bustling with tourists were boarded up, plywood and corrugated metal over windows and doors, as the flood-prone downtown area braced for high water. — Marko Alvarez, BostonGlobe.com, "Hurricane death toll climbs to 20 in devastated Bahamas," 4 Sep. 2019 English Heritage unveiled a blue plaque—marking historic homes—at the former house of journalist Martha Gellhorn. — Fortune, "Want to Come Back to My Hotel Room—For an Interview? The Broadsheet," 4 Sep. 2019

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.