historic

[ hi-stawr-ik, -stor- ]

adjective

1. well-known or important in history:

   a historic building;

   historic occasions.

   Synonyms: memorable, famed, famous, renowned, notable

2. historical ( defs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ).

historic

/ hɪˈstɒrɪk /

adjective

1. famous or likely to become famous in history; significant
2. a less common word for historical historical historical historical historical
3. Alsosecondary 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 Words From

• nonhis·toric adjective
• pseudo·his·toric adjective
• quasi-his·toric adjective
• semi·his·toric adjective
• super·his·toric adjective
• unhis·toric adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of historic¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin historicus, from Greek historikós “historical, scientific,” from histor(ía) “inquiry” ( history ) + -ikos -ic

Example Sentences

The Oscars come at a time when Hollywood is grappling with challenges including ongoing streaming upheavals, consolidation, the aftermath of a historic strike and the uncertainty of a second Trump presidency.

From Los Angeles Times

On a spring morning in 2002, the Sierra Club’s leaders gathered at the historic Ralston White Retreat, tucked between towering redwood trees on the side of Mount Tamalpais, high above the San Francisco Bay.

From Salon

“With President Trump, the Middle East experienced historic levels of peace and stability. Strength prevents wars. Iran’s money was cut off which prevented their funding of global terror,” he said.

From BBC

Historic England said "issues with the historic fabric urgently need to be addressed through a programme of repair work".

From BBC

“So you know we had like historic kind of numbers. Especially for the president, but we won’t get into that. But the House did very well.”

From Salon

Related Words

• consequential
• extraordinary
• famous
• important
• memorable
• significant