New Historicism

noun

: a method of literary criticism that emphasizes the historicity of a text by relating it to the configurations of power, society, or ideology in a given time
New Historicist adjective or noun

Examples of New Historicism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Greenblatt’s myth of a Romantic Marlowe almost singlehandedly pushing England into the Renaissance betrays the principles of New Historicism by shortchanging the roles of so many other key players. Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of New Historicism was in 1972

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Cite this Entry

“New Historicism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/New%20Historicism. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.

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