historical
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, treating, or characteristic of history or past events.
historical records;
historical research.
-
based on or reconstructed from an event, custom, style, etc., in the past.
a historical reenactment of the battle of Gettysburg.
-
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.
-
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
-
belonging to or typical of the study of history
historical methods
-
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. )
Explanation
Use the adjective historical to describe something that happened in the past, like the historical details of your ancestors' immigration to the United States. When you're talking about events in the past, you can call them historical. Civil War reenactors might work hard to research the perfect historical costumes, and set designers for period films try to recreate rooms with historical accuracy, making them look just like they would have in the past. The word historical traces back to the Greek word historia, "a learning by inquiry, history, or record."
Vocabulary lists containing historical
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Lesson 1
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Reading: Informational - Middle School
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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.
The building was historical and aptly named the Security Building.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
Their propriety is debatable, but as a matter of historical precedent and law, they aren’t war crimes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
The historical record simply does not support current precedent.
From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026
In northeastern Annaba -- formerly the ancient Roman city of Hippo -- Leo will visit vestiges of the city's historical past, as well as a reception centre run by Catholic nuns for impoverished elderly people.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
This is because children’s songs often preserve the social and historical meaning of a culture and the identity of its people.
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.
