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.
Global fertility is historically low. Arkansas Online, 19 Mar. 2026 My sister, in her own words, took on the role my dad has historically filled on family trips—learning a few words of Italian, asking for the bill, and popping into restaurants to book a table for that evening. Sarah James, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Mar. 2026 Filmmaker Ashley Shanté pitched a Hollywood writers’ room on the idea of adding a character who graduated from a historically Black college or university (HBCU), and was met with steely silence. Joshua Alston, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026 Students in these high-needs schools — many of whom are historically underserved Black and Latino students — are twice as likely to be taught by underqualified teachers compared with those in the highest-income schools. Valentyna Banner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 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 22 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster