historic
adjective
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historic or historical?
Do you experience a slight pause before using either of these words as you try to remember which one is correct and whether it should be preceded by an or a? If so, you’re not alone, for many people find this pair particularly tricky. Historic and historical are both occasionally found preceded by an, since the initial h in each word was formerly left unpronounced. Now this h is heard, and a is far more common than an (by a ratio of about 4 to 1 in American English).
Historic and historical have been used interchangeably by many writers, even in recent years. If you would like to avoid being corrected, however, use historical for matters relating to history (the historical society), and historic to refer to things having great and lasting importance (a historic occasion).
Examples of historic in a Sentence
David Materazzi, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Take a stroll through the historic Wrightsville Beach town square to get a glimpse into what the Wrightsville Beach of yesteryear looked like.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025
Ortea Palace Hotel, Autograph Collection Once a historic 1920s post office, Ortea Palace Hotel is conveniently located right across the bridge from mainland Syracuse and is considered to be one of the best in Sicily.
—Michele Becker, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2025
Heads up, South Florida, a historic change is coming to your TV channel guide on Monday: Say hello to Channel 18.
—Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for historic
Cite this Entry
“Historic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/historic. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
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historic
adjective
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