historical

adjective

his·​tor·​i·​cal hi-ˈstȯr-i-kəl 

-ˈstär-

1

a

: of, relating to, or having the character of history

historical data

b

: based on history

historical novels

c

: used in the past and reproduced in historical presentations

2

: famous in history : historic sense a

3

a

: secondary sense 1c

b

: diachronic

historical grammar

historicalness

hi-ˈstȯr-i-kəl-nəs 

-ˈstär-

noun

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).

Synonyms of historical

• factual
• literal
• documentary
• true
• nonfictional

Examples of historical in a Sentence

He strove for historical accuracy in the movie.

The kings are listed in historical order.

Recent Examples on the Web

The National Park Service (NPS) environmental assessment found that the arch would adversely affect surrounding historical properties, including Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. — News Desk, Artforum, 6 Nov. 2026

Manet’s monumental canvas is cold and unyielding in its impersonal depiction of the violent episode, and in many ways helped birth the modern historical political painting. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

In the right hands, there’s a hell of a lot that can be done with two men, some first-rate banter, and a historical flashpoint that eerily resonates with our current need for a reckoning about American adventures abroad. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2026

Not among our political enemies, not among our historical heroes, not among our martyrs, not among the incels, and not among the collaborators. — Paul Bloom, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing historical

• anti-historical
• art historical
• historical materialism
• historical museum
• historical present
• historical society

Rhymes for historical

• rhetorical
• ahistorical
• allegorical
• metaphorical
• oratorical
• unhistorical
• sociohistorical

Kids Definition

historical

adjective

his·​tor·​i·​cal his-ˈtȯr-i-kəl 

-ˈtär-

1

a

: of, relating to, or having the character of history

historical fact

b

: based on history

historical novels

c

: of, relating to, or exhibiting objects from the past

a historical museum

2

: historic sense 2

historically

-i-k(ə-)lē

adverb

historicalness

-i-kəl-nəs 

noun