historic
historic Lexical Profile
historic Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Famous, important, or influential in history, or potentially so.
"The signing of the peace treaty was a historic moment for both nations."
Dating from or preserved from an earlier period; having importance as a relic of the past.
"The city council voted to preserve the historic buildings in the downtown district."
British Denoting a grammatical tense, especially the present tense, used to narrate past events.
"The author frequently employs the historic present to make the narrative feel more immediate."
Word Nuance & Usage
In careful usage, 'historic' refers specifically to something famous or momentous in history (e.g., a historic treaty), whereas 'historical' refers more broadly to anything concerning the past or the study of history (e.g., historical records).
• Rhymes for historic
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 17th century from French historique or directly from Latin historicus, from Ancient Greek historikos ('of or pertaining to history'), derived from histor ('learned, wise man').