easy
The team celebrated a historic first victory.
What does Historic mean?
Historic means important in history or worth remembering as part of history.
Dictionary definition
Historic describes an event, place, object, or achievement that is important in history or likely to be remembered. It can also describe something preserved from a meaningful past period.
Example sentences
Historic in a sentence
easy
The town restored a historic railway station.
medium
The court’s historic decision changed rights across the country.
hard
A building may be old without being historic; its importance, associations, or preservation value must also matter.
Writing practice
Ready to write your own? Study the examples, then practice historic in a sentence with Sentence Builder checklist feedback.
Commonly confused words
Historic or historical?
Compare the meanings, then choose a word for each new sentence.
Historic
Important in history or likely to be remembered.
In a sentence The agreement was a historic turning point.
Historical
Connected with the past, history, or its study.
In a sentence The archive stores historical records.
Spot the difference Historic usually emphasizes lasting importance. Historical identifies a connection with the past, history, or its study.
Which word fits?
Choose historic or historical for each blank. Say your answer, then check why it fits.
1The first successful flight was a ___ achievement.
Check answer 1
historic — The achievement had lasting importance.
2The students compared ___ maps from three centuries.
Check answer 2
historical — The maps are connected with past periods.
Make it your ownTry the word in a sentence about your day.
Write a sentence with historicQuick practice
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Practice the meaning of Historic
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
What does historic most often mean?
Historic emphasizes importance, lasting significance, or preservation value.
Practice 2
Which sentence uses historic most precisely?
The agreement is important enough to be remembered as a turning point in history.
Practice 3
Which guidance best distinguishes historic from historical?
This distinction is useful for clear writing, even though established usage sometimes overlaps.
Practice complete
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Pronunciation coach
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Historic
Voice settings
Sounds like
his · tor · ik · strongest beat: tor
Tap each sound part, then blend the whole word together.
Learn
WordHistoric.
Partadjective.
MeaningHistoric means important in history or worth remembering as part of history.
ExampleExample: The team celebrated a historic first victory.
Word breakdown
3 syllables. Say each part, then blend the word.
- Syllables
- his · tor · ik
- Strongest beat
- tor
- Ending
- ik
- Tip
- Put a little extra energy on tor.
Your turn
Say Historic
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Nice work—you practiced historic.
Synonyms
Words like Historic
momentousClose when an event is extremely important and likely to have lasting effects.
landmarkClose as an adjective for an event, ruling, or achievement that marks a major development.
significantA broader substitute when historic means important, though not every significant thing becomes part of history.
Antonyms
Opposite words
unremarkableA contrast for the importance sense: not unusual or important enough to attract notice.
ordinaryA broad contrast when historic means exceptional or memorable, not for every past-time use.
Synonym practice
Want to practice historic synonyms in context? Try a Synonym Search question like "The historic bridge was over one hundred years old," then compare close word choices. Practice historic synonyms.
Word family
Historic word family
Base word
history
adjective
historical
Connected with the past, history, or its study.
noun
historian
A person who studies or writes about history.
adverb
historically
In the past or in a way connected with history.
adjective
prehistoric
Belonging to a time before written records.
Related words
Explore related words
Student support
Understand Historic
Hint for students
Ask whether the writer is emphasizing importance worth remembering. If the meaning is only connected with the past or its study, historical is usually clearer.
Common mix-up
Historic does not simply mean old. A place or event is historic because it has lasting importance, meaning, or preservation value. In modern pronunciation the h is usually heard, so “a historic” is more common than “an historic.”
Try it in class or at home
Give students six descriptions of events, documents, buildings, and data. They label each historic, historical, both with an explanation, or neither, then revise one ambiguous description so the intended meaning is clear.
Teacher prompt
Compare “a historic vote” with “historical voting records.” Which phrase emphasizes lasting importance, and which simply connects information to the past?
Word Wheel
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Learning activities
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