historic
adjectiveimportant enough that people will remember it
A historic moment is one history will remember.
Historic vs historical
Use historic to stress that something is important and memorable. Use historical for anything connected with the past.
2 wordsaudio · quiz
Quick answer
Historic usually means important or famous in history. Historical means connected with the past or with history.
historical
adjectiveabout the past or the study of history
Historical = about history: records, novels, facts.
The difference at a glance
| Word | Type | Means | Example | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| historic | adjective | important enough that people will remember it | It was a historic day for the town. | |
| historical | adjective | about the past or the study of history | She writes historical novels. |
See each one in a sentence
adjective
historic
Examples
It was a historic day for the town.
They signed a historic peace agreement.
Common mistake
Not: The president made a historical decision that changed the country forever.
Say: The president made a historic decision that changed the country forever.
To stress that an event is important and memorable, use historic.
adjective
historical
Examples
She writes historical novels.
We found historical records of the village.
Common mistake
Not: Her book is a historic novel.
Say: Her book is a historical novel.
A story set in the past is historical.
Pick the right word
Fill the gap
Read the sentence, then choose the word that fits.
Now use them yourself
Write or say two sentences, one with each word, in a real conversation.