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 definition: well-known or important in history. See examples of historic used in a sentence.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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

There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the word historic, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

If you would like to avoid being corrected, however, use historical for matters relating to history (the historical society), and historic to refer to things having great and lasting importance (a historic …

Historic means ‘important or likely to be important in history’: … It is also the case that historic preservation virtually never operates this way either. He also undertakes an innovative survey of …

The meaning of HISTORICAL is of, relating to, or having the character of history. How to use historical in a sentence. historic or historical?