Distinguishing Between Historic & Historical

Historic vs Historical

The difference between historic and historical can be confusing, as both are adjectives connected to the noun history. The word historic is used to convey ‘remarkable’ or ‘famous,’ while historical refers to the ‘past.’ Both words are used as adjectives, with historic deriving from the word ‘history’ and having a separate meaning as ‘remarkable.’ The word historical has its adverbial form in the word ‘historically.’

Key Takeaways

• Historic is used to convey ‘remarkable’ or ‘famous.’
• Historical is used to refer to the ‘past.’
• Both words are adjectives and connected to the noun history.

What does Historic mean?

The word historic is used to describe something that is remarkable or famous. For example:

• England scored a historic win over Italy.
• It was a historic event and hence was attended by thousands of people worldwide.

In these sentences, the word historic is used in the sense of ‘remarkable’ or ‘famous.’

What does Historical mean?

The word historical is used in the sense of past. For example:

• Write short notes on some historical events during the Mughal period.
• Many books have been written on historical events.

In these sentences, the word historical is used in the sense of ‘past.’

What is the difference between Historic and Historical?

• Historic is used to convey ‘remarkable’ or ‘famous.’
• Historical is used to refer to the ‘past.’
• Both words derive from the word history.
• Historical has its adverbial form in the word ‘historically.’
• Both historic and historical are adjectives.

These are the key differences between the two words, historic and historical.