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

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

There it is — occupying manicured lawns in View Park, lining the boulevards of Historic Filipinotown and Little Armenia.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump’s victory in this historic election where the future of the country’s democracy is at stake and greatly imperiled also represents a failure of large parts of the American public to understand their basic duties as citizens.

From Salon

A Jacobean mansion and a concert venue in a Baroque church are among 26 sites across London to be added to Historic England's at-risk register.

From BBC

Related Words

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