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 owners spent four years and roughly $13 million restoring the historic Honolulu estate, which was built for a former governor.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
A week after astronaut Jeremy Hansen blasted off on the historic Artemis II mission to the Moon, his wife Catherine recalled the anxiety and thrill of witnessing the journey from afar.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
The almost 200-year-old Victorian-style building features pieces of historic art, artifacts, a museum and a library — all of which could have turned to ash, Pitchford said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
On Friday, the crew of the Artemis II mission will splash down on Earth after its historic 10-day flyby of the Moon.
From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026
Pictured with me here were my friends, my sisters and brothers, who traveled with me through the historic life-changing event of attending Central High School.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
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.
