Use historic to emphasize lasting importance and historical to describe a connection to the past. A historic decision changes what comes after it. Historical records tell us about what came before.
Decide what you want to emphasize
- “The court issued a historic decision that changed how future cases were heard.” The adjective emphasizes the decision’s impact.
- “The museum used historical photographs to identify the original storefronts.” The adjective tells where the evidence comes from.
Both words can describe the same thing
A historical document can be any document that provides evidence about the past. Calling it a historic document usually makes a claim about its importance. The words sometimes overlap, especially when describing old buildings or objects. Merriam-Webster’s usage note explains the distinction.
Try it
“The archive digitized a set of ___ bus timetables from 1924.” The timetables are useful records, and the sentence makes no claim that they changed transportation history.
Show the answer
Use historical. The timetables are records from the past.
See also Biannual vs. Biennial.
