Historical is used as the general term for describing history, such as 'the historical record,' while historic is now usually reserved for important and famous moments in history, such as 'a historic battle.'

Historic refers to that which is associated with significant events in history: the historic first voyage to the moon. Thus, a historic house is likely to be of interest not just because it is relatively old, but because …

Historic means ‘important or likely to be important in history’: … Authorities and meteorologists described the flooding as historic and the worst seen in the region apart from that spawned by …

Oct 23, 2025 · Adjective historic (comparative more historic, superlative most historic) Very important; noteworthy: having importance or significance in history.

History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and …

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025 his•tor•ic (hi stôr′ ik, -stor′ -), adj. World History well-known or important in history: a historic building; historic occasions. …

Dec 26, 2014 · The first Horrell Hill School, established by the Literary Society of Horrell Hill in 1898, shortly established a reputation of excellence among South Carolina rural schools. Those of us who …

When you describe something that's historic, it's either the first or the only of its kind. Historic moments are so important or momentous that they'll show up in history textbooks.

Definition of historic adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Something that is historic is important in history, or likely to be considered important at some time in the future. King gave this historic speech the night before he was assassinated. ...a fourth historic …