- 1connected with the past the historical background to the war You must place these events in their historical context. an essay on the historical development of the novel Women are not allowed to enter the monastery for historical reasons. Which Word?historic / historical
- Historic is usually used to describe something that is so important that it is likely to be remembered:Today is a historic occasion for our country.Historical usually describes something that is connected with the past or with the study of history, or something that really happened in the past:I have been doing some historical research. Was Robin Hood a historical figure?
- 2connected with the study of history historical documents/records/research The building is of historical importance.
- 3(of a book, movie, etc.) about people and events in the past a historical novel
NAmE//hɪˈstɔrɪkli//, NAmE//hɪˈstɑrɪkli//
adverb The book is historically inaccurate. Historically, there has always been a great deal of rivalry between the two families.See historical in the Oxford Advanced Learner's DictionaryCheck pronunciation: historical