'historical' definitions:
Definition of 'historical'
From: WordNet
adjective
Of or relating to the study of history; "historical scholars"; "a historical perspective" [ant: ahistorical]
adjective
Having once lived or existed or taken place in the real world as distinct from being legendary; "the historical Jesus"; "doubt that a historical Camelot every existed"; "actual historical events"
adjective
Belonging to the past; of what is important or famous in the past; "historic victories"; "historical (or historic) times"; "a historical character" [syn: historic, historical]
adjective
Used of the study of a phenomenon (especially language) as it changes through time; "diachronic linguistics" [syn: diachronic, historical] [ant: synchronic]
Definition of 'historical'
From: GCIDE
- historic \his*tor"ic\ (h[i^]s*t[o^]r"[i^]k), historical \his*tor"ic*al\ (h[i^]s*t[o^]r"[i^]*kal), a. [L. historicus, Gr. "istoriko`s: cf. F. historique. See History.] Of or pertaining to history, or the record of past events; as, an historical poem; the historic page. -- {His*tor"ic*al*ness}, n. -- {His*to*ric"i*ty}, n. [1913 Webster]
- There warriors frowning in historic brass. --Pope. [1913 Webster]
- 2. having once lived, existed, or taken place in the real world; -- contrasted with legendary; as, the historical Jesus; doubt that a historical Camelot every existed; actual historical events. [WordNet 1.5]
- 3. Belonging to the past; as, historical (or historic) times; a historical character. [WordNet 1.5]
- 4. Within the period of time recorded in written documents; as, within historic times. Opposite of prehistoric.
- Syn: diachronic. [WordNet 1.5]
- 5. (Linguistics) Same as diachronic. synchronic [WordNet 1.5]
- Historical painting, that branch of painting which represents the events of history.
- Historical sense, that meaning of a passage which is deduced from the circumstances of time, place, etc., under which it was written.
- The historic sense, the capacity to conceive and represent the unity and significance of a past era or age. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'historical'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- absolute,
- actual,
- admitting no question,
- ascertained,
- attested,
- authentic,
- authenticated,
- autobiographical,
- biographical,
- categorically true,
- certain,
- certified,
- chronologic,
- confirmable,
- confirmed,
- corroborated,
- de facto,
- demonstrable,
- demonstratable,
- demonstrated,
- determined,
- documentary,
- documented,
- effectual,
- established,
- factual,
- for real,
- genuine,
- hagiographic,
- historic,
- historied,
- historiographic,
- honest-to-God,
- inappealable,
- incontestable,
- incontrovertible,
- indisputable,
- indubitable,
- irrefragable,
- irrefutable,
- legendary,
- martyrologic,
- not in error,
- objectively true,
- positive,
- provable,
- proved,
- real,
- recorded,
- reliable,
- self-evident,
- substantial,
- substantiated,
- sure-enough,
- testable,
- traditional,
- true,
- true as gospel,
- truthful,
- unanswerable,
- unconfutable,
- unconfuted,
- undeniable,
- undenied,
- undoubted,
- unerroneous,
- unfallacious,
- unfalse,
- unimpeachable,
- unmistaken,
- unquestionable,
- unrefutable,
- unrefuted,
- validated,
- veracious,
- verifiable,
- verified,
- veritable