adjective
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famous or likely to become famous in history; significant
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a less common word for historical historical historical historical historical
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Also: secondary. linguistics (of Latin, Greek, or Sanskrit verb tenses) referring to past time
Usage
A distinction is usually made between historic (important, significant) and historical (pertaining to history): a historic decision; a historical perspective
Other Word Forms
- nonhistoric adjective
- pseudohistoric adjective
- quasi-historic adjective
- semihistoric adjective
- superhistoric adjective
- unhistoric adjective
Etymology
Origin of historic
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin historicus, from Greek historikós “historical, scientific,” from histor(ía) “inquiry” ( history ) + -ikos -ic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The modern mansion is a far cry from the historic dwelling that previously occupied the parcel—and was described as a “gorgeous relic” in one report about its listing.
From MarketWatch
Delinquencies on home loans are up from historic lows, but Routledge said people overall are renewing mortgages and remain up-to-date on payments.
The Hellenic Olympic Committee has hit out at criticism of the sponsorship of the historic Panathenaic Stadium, site of the first modern Games in 1896, as "petty" politics that "undermines" its work.
From Barron's
After that historic fight, speculation began about new challenges and a possible rematch, but Crawford chose a different path.
From Los Angeles Times
Officials said that the new purchases, greenlighted by parliament's budget committee, mean a "historic" number of defence acquisitions have been approved this year, worth nearly 83 billion euros.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
