historical
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, treating, or characteristic of history or past events.
historical records;
historical research.
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based on or reconstructed from an event, custom, style, etc., in the past.
a historical reenactment of the battle of Gettysburg.
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having once existed or lived in the real world, as opposed to being part of legend or fiction or as distinguished from religious belief.
Scholars doubt that a historical Camelot ever existed.
Her thesis was an overview of how theologians have studied the historical Jesus.
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narrated or mentioned in history; belonging to the past.
He cited several historical examples of international conflict resolution.
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relating to or involving analysis based on a comparison among several periods of development of a phenomenon, as in language or economics.
She taught a course in historical linguistics.
adjective
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belonging to or typical of the study of history
historical methods
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concerned with or treating of events of the past
historical accounts
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based on or constituting factual material as distinct from legend or supposition
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based on or inspired by history
a historical novel
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occurring or prominent in history
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a less common word for historic
Other Word Forms
- antihistorical adjective
- antihistoricalness noun
- historically adverb
- historicalness noun
- nonhistorical adjective
- nonhistoricalness noun
- pseudohistorical adjective
- quasi-historical adjective
- semihistorical adjective
- superhistorical adjective
- unhistorical adjective
Etymology
Origin of historical
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin historic(us) historic ( def. ) + -al 1 ( def. )
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.
MSW said suggesting the "purpose-built, engineered structures" posed the same risks as historical coal tips was "incorrect and misleading".
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
Sherin said the group raised about $5 million in pledges and was counting on historical tax credits to fill the gap but still came up several million dollars short.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
But they should be considered a nonzero recessionary risk, insofar as sector-specific shocks have been historical contributors.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
Ms. Gage, who teaches American history at Yale, presents the book as an attempt, timed for the semiquincentennial, to improve the contemporary “national historical dialogue, which tends to emphasize veneration or damnation over real understanding.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Having even some general details including maps, pictures, photos, quotes, and individual stories, and historical information helps.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
