historically

adverb

his·​tor·​i·​cal·​ly hi-ˈstȯr-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce historically (audio)
-ˈstär-
1
: in accordance with or with respect to history
a historically accurate account
2
: in the past
Historically, stagnant cities seldom have recovered …Jane Jacobs

Examples of historically in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Some headway has been made on that front, but historically, there has been a bit of friction. Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 5 Mar. 2026 House Speaker Mike Johnson, facing a historically slim GOP majority in the chamber, has only cautiously touched on the controversy in recent weeks. Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 5 Mar. 2026 Such usage rates are concerning because interceptor production has historically lagged behind operational demand. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026 Drayton decided to also attend SC State, a historically Black university, and earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology. Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for historically

Word History

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of historically was in 1550

Cite this Entry

“Historically.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/historically. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.

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