A few times these past days I was asked about the difference between the words “historic” and “historical”. Although these adjectives are close in meaning, their usage is different. In a few words, every past event is historical, but what stands out is historic:
“historic”
very important, very influential in relation to history, e.g. the historic first flight, a historic battle (of major importance)
“historical”
existing in the past (not necessarily important), or concerning the past, e.g. historical times (period in history when written records began to be kept), a historical film
Check the following sentences:
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- Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriett Beecher Stowe is considered a historic novel because it changed the views of slavery and still reminds us of the effects of slavery and cruelty.
- I enjoy reading historical novels and books about war and warriors.
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- He likes collecting historical photographs. His albums contain some historic ones like the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.
As our national holiday is approaching (there are two relevant references about the historic events here and here), it is such an appropriate moment to satisfy this question with more references:
Definition at dictionary.cambridge.org oxforddictionaries.com thefreedictionary.com
Examples and quiz at grammar-monster.com
Tips and tricks at quickanddirtytips.com
Now, would you like to play with some historical events, historic characters and sites?
Find the Famous Historical Sites
Find the Historical People