historical
adjective
Did you know?
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 historical in a Sentence
Will Collins, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
The strategy was stress-tested against historical market downturns and became a reliable benchmark for retirees looking to stretch savings across three decades.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Some argue the practice is riding on the coattails of Canada’s historical ties to countries such as the Netherlands, which was liberated by Canadian troops during World War II and where Canadians are particularly appreciated.
—Vivian Song, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
Higgins is advising a kind of historical epoche.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for historical
Cite this Entry
“Historical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/historical. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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historical
adjective
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