historical present

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noun Grammar.

the present tense used in narrating a past event as if happening at the time of narration.

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Origin of historical present

First recorded in 1960–65

Words nearby historical present

historical geology, historical linguistics, historical materialism, historical method, historical novel, historical present, historical school, historical sociology, historic episcopate, historicism, historicity

How to use historical present in a sentence

In his view, a writer has only one duty: to be present in his books.
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Angelina Jolie was able to seemingly glide into the Vatican on Thursday to present her new film ‘Unbroken.’
Pope Francis Has the Pleasure of Meeting Angelina Jolie for a Few Seconds|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Disordered eating is also linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety, both in the present and in the future.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In the middle of all of that past suffering and present-day conflict, this Cosby bomb was dropped.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The account goes some way in showing just how present the Quds and other forces are in Iraq at this point in time.
What an Iranian Funeral Tells Us About the Wars in Iraq|IranWire|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But Mrs. Dodd, the present vicar's wife, retained the precious prerogative of choosing the book to be read at the monthly Dorcas.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
The Rev. Alonzo Barnard, seventy-one years of age, accompanied by his daughter, was present.
Among the Sioux|R. J. Creswell
Several pioneers familiar with the facts of the tragedy at the time of its occurrence were also present.
Among the Sioux|R. J. Creswell
Bacteria, when present in great numbers, give a uniform cloud which cannot be removed by ordinary filtration.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
At present, Louis was too self-absorbed by the struggles within him, to look deep into what was passing around him.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

British Dictionary definitions for historical present

historical present

noun

the present tense used to narrate past events, usually employed in English for special effect or in informal use, as in a week ago I'm walking down the street and I see this accident

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012