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

While industry attention has historically centered on fabrics, trims—ranging from fibers and elastics to zippers and labels—can account for more than 40 percent of a garment’s bill of materials. —Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 21 Apr. 2026

And there’s reason to believe some skilled trades jobs or blue-collar work can be just as lucrative as some historically prestigious white-collar jobs. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026

What was surprising was that the hospital’s founder, a Kenyan doctor called Sam Thenya who retained a minority stake in the company after Abraaj acquired it, had historically been so open about this. —Hettie O'Brien, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026

But the House has historically been reluctant to serve as the final arbiter of a lawmaker’s career, preferring to give that final say to the voters. —Kevin Freking, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1