historic
adjective
Did you know?
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
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
With families and corporate groups back on schedule, historic resorts empty out and service gets noticeably more personal.
—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
As a potentially historic heat wave hits Philadelphia, many fans made cooling off their first priority during Wednesday's Phillies game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park.
—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
2 July 2026
The historic town center boasts a 13th-century bell tower and municipal palace, cobbled streets, and shops selling local products.
—
Tia Lovisa Moreira,
Travel + Leisure,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for historic
Cite this Entry
“Historic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/historic. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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historic
adjective
