adjective
-
famous or likely to become famous in history; significant
-
a less common word for historical historical historical historical historical
-
Also: secondary. 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 Word Forms
- nonhistoric adjective
- pseudohistoric adjective
- quasi-historic adjective
- semihistoric adjective
- superhistoric adjective
- unhistoric adjective
Etymology
Origin of historic
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin historicus, from Greek historikós “historical, scientific,” from histor(ía) “inquiry” ( history ) + -ikos -ic
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.
DR Congo's ministry of labour and employment said that as a result of the "historic" victory, the nation could have the day off work to "celebrate in unity, fervour and national pride".
From BBC
Facing historic spikes in petrol prices, Albanese urged Australians to switch to using public transport, preserving fuel for rural communities and essential services.
From Barron's
But, as perhaps you have noticed, they trend toward the religious, mythic or historic, i.e. dead.
From Los Angeles Times
But they reasserted themselves as legitimate playoff contenders behind Doncic’s historic brilliance.
From Los Angeles Times
The journey marks a series of historic accomplishments: it will send the first person of color, the first woman and the first non-American on a lunar mission.
From Barron's
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.
