historical

/hɪˈstɔrəkəl/

/hɪˈstɒrɪkəl/

Use the adjective historical to describe something that happened in the past, like the historical details of your ancestors' immigration to the United States.

When you're talking about events in the past, you can call them historical. Civil War reenactors might work hard to research the perfect historical costumes, and set designers for period films try to recreate rooms with historical accuracy, making them look just like they would have in the past. The word historical traces back to the Greek word historia, "a learning by inquiry, history, or record."

Definitions of historical

1. adjective

   of or relating to the study of history
   “historical scholars”

   “a historical perspective”

   antonyms:

   ahistorical

   unconcerned with or unrelated to history or to historical development or to tradition
2. adjective

   used of the study of a phenomenon (especially language) as it changes through time
   synonyms: diachronic
3. adjective

   belonging to the past; of what is important or famous in the past
   “a historical character”

   synonyms: historic

   past

   earlier than the present time; no longer current
4. adjective

   having once lived or existed or taken place in the real world as distinct from being legendary
   “the historical Jesus”

   “actual historical events”

   synonyms:

   existent, real

   being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory