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E EnglishDart
B2

Historic vs Historical

Historic means 'important in history' — a historic event, a historic building. Historical means 'related to the past' — historical records, historical novels.

The one-line answer

Historic means 'important in history' — a historic event, a historic building. Historical means 'related to the past' — historical records, historical novels.

historic

adjective

important or famous in history; likely to be remembered

  • It was a historic moment for the country.
  • The treaty was a historic achievement.
  • They live in a historic district.

historical

adjective

connected with the past or the study of history

  • She writes historical novels set in the 1800s.
  • The museum displays historical documents.
  • We need more historical context to understand this.

Memory trick

Historic = making history (important). Historical = about history (the topic). A historic event changes the future; a historical document simply records the past.

Historic vs Historical: Test yourself

Question 1 of 2

The election marked a ___ day in the nation's history.