historian
Americannoun
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an expert in history; authority on history.
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a writer of history; chronicler.
noun
Etymology
Origin of historian
Explanation
A historian is someone who is an authority on history. Your American History textbook was written by a historian. If you've ever taken a history class, chances are it was taught by a historian — someone who is an expert on history. You don't get to be a historian overnight; most historians have studied history for years and have a Master's or Ph.D. in history. If you want an informed opinion on past elections, wars, disasters, and trends, talk to a historian or read a book by one. Historians are experts on the past.
Vocabulary lists containing historian
"Mysteries of the Ancient Past"
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"The Sword in the Stone" and "Was There a Real King Arthur?"
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Week 5: Into the Past
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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.
“This amounts to a real right to bail in hundreds of thousands of cases, which previously in California might have led to detention,” said Kellen R. Funk, a legal historian at Columbia Law School.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
My job as a historian, regardless of the topic, is to denaturalize what we take for granted.
From Slate • May 27, 2026
The irony is dark, but as historian Rick Perlstein has sharply argued, it is really not that surprising.
From Salon • May 26, 2026
“Gender politics are impossible to ignore here,” said Summer Anne Lee, a fashion historian.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026
“I only wish that the French would consider it a copy,” the Italian art historian Corrado Ricci said.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
