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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.
The historically Black university, which was chartered in 1886, has more than 2,200 students, 450 faculty and staff members, per its website. Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 10 Dec. 2025 International climate diplomacy, since its high-water mark at Paris, in 2015, has been besieged by the fossil-fuel industry and its proxy governments, which now include, of course, the United States, historically the Earth’s chief producer of CO2. Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2025 Gunmen have targeted several historically black colleges and universities in recent months. David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 9 Dec. 2025 Our work is often not as succinct or perfectly straightforward as it has been depicted historically in media. Patrick Gomez, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025 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 10 Dec. 2025.

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