Meaning & use
historic
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Very important in history, or likely to be remembered as a major moment.
Grammar: Used before a noun, as in a historic day; it is not usually used after verbs like be.
Patterns
- a historic event
- a historic moment
- a historic victory
- historic changes
The two leaders signed a historic peace agreement.
Her election was a historic moment for the country.
This is a historic day for the whole team.
adjectivebefore a noun
Having existed for a long time and therefore interesting or worth visiting.
Grammar: Comes before the noun: a historic building. Do not use it after be to mean 'old'.
Patterns
- a historic building
- a historic town
- a historic site
We spent the afternoon walking around the historic center of the city.
The hotel is a historic building that dates back to the 1700s.
They are trying to protect the historic harbor from development.
Common combinations
- a historic occasion
- The opening of the new bridge was a historic occasion.
- a historic decision
- The court's decision was described as historic.
- of historic importance
- The documents are of historic importance to the region.
- a historic first
- Her medal was a historic first for the country.
- historic surroundings
- They held the ceremony in historic surroundings.
Synonyms and how they differ
- momentous
- Emphasizes great importance or serious consequences, but does not necessarily suggest a place in recorded history.
- landmark
- Used mainly before a noun, as in a landmark ruling; it stresses that something marks a turning point.
- memorable
- Means easy to remember, which is weaker than historic; a memorable party is not automatically historic.
Opposites
Word family
- history noun
- The study or record of past events.
- historian noun
- A person who studies or writes about history.
- historically adverb
- In a way that relates to history or past times.
- prehistoric adjective
- Belonging to the time before written records existed.
Commonly confused: historic or historical?
historic vs historical
Historical simply means connected with the past or with the study of history, as in historical documents; historic means important enough to be remembered in history.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'historic' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Historic' means important in history, so a moon landing is a good fit. The other options describe things that merely relate to the past, which calls for 'historical'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “historic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.