historic, historical
Do not confuse the terms historic and historical.
Historic is an adjective that means something momentous, important, or likely to be important in history, or that holds a prominent place in history. Examples:
- The meeting between the reclusive dictator and the president was historic.
- This is a historic moment for the nation.
- After years of delay for the mission, the shuttle launch was historic.
- A historic battle is memorialized here.
Historical means the “related to the study of things from the past.” Examples:
- The Lincoln County Historical Society works hard to preserve the character of the town’s Colonial Era buildings.
- I’m a big fan of historical fiction.
- We took a tour of the historical battlefields of Massachusetts.
- American museums have begun to return historical items of religious and cultural significance to indigenous tribes.