Confused about whether to use historic or historical to describe an event, place, or object? You are not alone.
Historic is used to describe something “famous or important in history” or “having great and lasting importance.” Notice the words important and importance in those definitions. If whatever you’re describing is important in history, it’s historic:
- historic battlefield
- historic building
- historic election
Historical is used to describe something “of, relating to, or having the character of history” or that is “based on history.” Notice the absence of the word important in the definitions. If whatever you’re describing is of, related to, or based on the past, it’s historical:
- historical mystery
- historical painting
- historical society
(Definitions from The Merriam-Webster Dictionary online.)
