historically

adverb

his·​tor·​i·​cal·​ly hi-ˈstȯr-i-k(ə-)lē 

-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

The latest iteration of the colorway will feature a two-tone black-and-gray upper, a feature that has historically alternated between solid black and the contrasting look seen on the upcoming reissue. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026

In a city teeming with divisive political discussions, complaints about mosquitoes have historically crossed party lines. — Angie Orellana Hernandez, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026

That’s a designer signal that historically trickles into mid-tier retail fast. — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026

Blackwood grew up in Bed-Stuy, the historically Caribbean neighborhood in Brooklyn now undergoing aggressive gentrification. — Camille Okhio, Architectural Digest, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1