historical
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 historical in a Sentence
Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 14 Nov. 2025
While the team did not pinpoint a clearly structured culinary diplomatic strategy or public policy, certain historical periods showed distinct characteristics and themes through food.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2025
The list begins with relevant works on park politics that help to illustrate historical and contemporary struggles for access and strategies for the ethnographic study of public space.
—JSTOR Daily, 14 Nov. 2025
The men’s accessories and ready-to-wear section, anchored by the Pantalonaio, a historical open piece of furniture used in the early Loro Piana boutique, is right behind the entrance.
—Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for historical
Cite this Entry
“Historical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/historical. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
historical
adjective
Share