historical

adjective

hi-ˈstȯr-i-kəl How to pronounce historical (audio)
Definition of historicalnext
as in factual
restricted to or based on fact a historical novel that tells the story of Hannibal's crossing of the Alps through the eyes of a young boy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of historical Former Justice Department officials called the visit unusual, given the historical norm of insulating federal criminal investigations from political officials. — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 The Democratic Republic of Congo has selected historical thriller Rumba Royale as its entry for the Best International Feature Film category of the 99th Academy Awards. — Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026 This belief that underperforming schools are also under-resourced is rooted in historical reality. — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 8 Oct. 2026 The moon is a historical landmark — a celestial body continually peppered with robotic landers shot from our home planet, as well as human footprints planted there by a dozen visiting moonwalkers from 1969 to 1972. — Leonard David, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for historical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for historical
  1. factual
  2. literal
  3. documentary
  4. true
  5. nonfictional
Adjective
  • In 1988, Rantzen won BAFTA’s Richard Dimbleby Award for factual programming.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
  • There is no factual evidence that this psychological and economic slaughter of Amadeus by Salieri is substantiated by truth.
    — Doni Wilson, Houston Chronicle, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of factual
Adjective
  • The movie ends with Haugen doing a literal fist bump into the air, riding off into the horizon of glorious victory.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The exhibition is full of moments like this, where something familiar about Basquiat suddenly becomes much more literal.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of literal
Adjective
  • The documentary jury was comprised of Sine Plambech, director and anthropologist, Alfredo de Juan, cinematographer, Anne Köhncke, producer, Jela Hasler, director, and Nikolas Geyrhalter, director, cinematographer and producer.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Over five days, the festival seeks to offer audiences the opportunity to discover extraordinary films, meet filmmakers, and engage with the people shaping the documentary landscape today.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of documentary
Adjective
  • The court has already said that second half is Congress’ job, and the usual objection — that nobody could tell the difference — is about to stop being true.
    — John Mildenberger, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
  • But back then, Carla was worth significantly more than Morgan; now, the inverse is true.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of true
Adjective
  • In a world where true-crime shows of both the fictional and nonfictional variety run rampant on our screens, that’s probably not a bad corporate strategy.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This is what gives the film its experiential sincerity — the lived perspective of its Ukrainian crew leaving a nonfictional trace across every level of the fiction, something Stever handles with unusual reverence.
    — Sonya Vseliubska, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of nonfictional

Browse Nearby Words

historic
historical
histories
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Cite this Entry

“Historical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/historical. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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