historicize

verb

his·​tor·​i·​cize hi-ˈstȯr-ə-ˌsīz How to pronounce historicize (audio)
-ˈstär-
historicized; historicizing

intransitive verb

: to use historical material

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web There is perhaps nothing harder or less rewarding to historicize than a bruised ego. Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2023 It is used to historicize the conflict between the family and their nemesis, the white Landry/Boudreaux families. Tanisha C. Ford, The Atlantic, 7 Sep. 2022 Perhaps Fukuyama’s evolution is a cue to instead historicize liberalism as a regional ideology that has shaped a few large countries, over a few recent centuries. Krithika Varagur, The New Yorker, 25 May 2022 Keret said his father fought to humanize and historicize the Holocaust, to see it as more than a story of unmitigated oppression. Gal Beckerman, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'historicize.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of historicize was in 1846

Dictionary Entries Near historicize

Cite this Entry

“Historicize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/historicize. Accessed 21 Mar. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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