Historic
/hɪˈstɒr.ɪk/noun
Of great importance or significance in history, or relating to the past.
Did you know?At its deepest root, *historic* is tied to Greek *historia*, meaning “inquiry” or “knowledge gained by asking,” so history began as an act of questioning, not just remembering.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἱστορία (historia)
“inquiry, investigation, knowledge from learning by asking”
Late Latin
Latin
historicus / historia
“historical, narrative; history, account”
Old French
OF
historique
“historical, belonging to history”
Late Middle English
English
istoric / historic
“pertaining to history or historical record”
Modern English
English
historic
“important enough to be remembered in history; relating to history”