1Of or concerning history; concerning past events.

1. 1.1 Belonging to the past, not the present.
   famous historical figures

   Example sentencesExamples

   • This article is based on analysis of historical and contemporary data, including interviews and site visits.
   • The burial ground of some of Carlow's leading historical figures is regularly the scene of attacks.
   • Our cast list expanded to include historical figures remembering the distant rather than the recent past.
   • As with all great historical figures, the myth is both powerful and pervasive.
   • Belief in a religion is belief in an idea and in particular historical figures whether Muhammad, Christ or Joseph Smith.
   • The audience surveys a melange of imaginary figures, and historical ones both famous and obscure.
   • Do you have a favourite place, food, drink or historical figure in Bulgaria that you will also remember?
   • Two historical figures, then, standout as examples and mentors for us today.
   • For the practitioner, it presents a landscape of historical figures that have made their mark.
   • The actors discuss the challenges of playing recognisable historical figures.
   • But she says her love of the ancient sport traced back to a family passion for historical weaponry.
   • To that end, Grass says they're playing the archetypes rather than the historical figures.
   • The work opens up the world of this historical people, namely the ancient Greeks.
   • Ellroy pioneered the introduction of real historical figures and episodes into his novels.
   • I'm sure that historical religious figures would be annoyed by all the din produced today.
   • There's a speculative component to attempting to do diagnoses on historical figures.
   • It is not easy to get inside the head of a real-life historical figure but Galloway has accomplished this with absolute ease.
   • Years ago, authors used to take their time about writing about historical figures.
   • You also console yourself with the knowledge that these are historical artefacts from a bygone era.
   • The burial ground of some of the area's leading historical figures is regularly the scene of attacks.

   Synonyms

   past, bygone, ancient, old, former, prior, from the past
2. 1.2 (especially of a novel or movie) set in the past.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • He was still completing the preliminary stages of getting in shape and watching all the relevant historical films.
   • I think the gist was that it's a historical story about immigrants coming to London.
   • The play gave him the idea to write a historical thriller and combine both his history and English teaching experience in a novel.
   • She agrees with Jacobovici but she points out a crucial ingredient needed to make a historical film work.
   • Prone to the legendary, it lacks credibility as a historical narrative.
   • One would have to be very naive to expect any historical Hollywood film to be accurate.
   • His use of novels and historical narrative were essential to his reinvention of the Tory party.
   • Priceless historical film rescued from a Blackburn rubbish skip will go on show to the public for the first time this week.
   • Literary enthusiasts eager to draw on such historical stories will be able to take advantage of the new Jerwood Centre.
   • Politically it's no better or worse than any of those historical sagas, one can easily apply left or right wing analysis to it.
   • I plunged head first into this story after being inspired by other historical stories I have read.
   • These three novels are historical in that they recall a life that no longer exists and recreate societies that are apparently past.
   • Combined they work out okay, but a truly historical or legendary film might have been cooler.
   • She wrote many other historical and romantic novels, including several sequels to The Scarlet Pimpernel.
   • The festival will open with the historical film Vercingetorix, which was shot in Bulgaria.
   • What about the real meaning of a historical record or a novel or a poem?
   • She found a historical film made in 1959 by Belgian missionaries and took it to Rwanda.
   • As a historical feature film, does it correctly capture the essence of the story?
   • The book was an instant success and was followed by eight more historical, romantic novels in five years.
   • Giggleswick writer Julie Majzlik found fame after penning three successful historical romance novels.
3. 1.3 (of the study of a subject) based on an analysis of its development over a period.
   for the Darwinians, biogeography became a historical science

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Well all these predictions about death rates are based on historical analyses.
   • And so began intensive historical study of the gospels and their sources which continues to this day.
   • The messages of historical studies in this field are, overall, rather mixed.
   • The role of cavalry was far more complicated and is well worth historical study.
   • It is unquestionably one of the most important historical studies of recent years.
   • That can make the historical study of empires frustrating, but is also part of what makes it ever-mobile and exciting.
   • Until relatively recently, slavery was not a subject at the center of historical scholarship.
   • But for historical studies, the main object of interest is ordinary civilian life.
   • Martha Treadway might seem at first to be an unlikely subject for historical study.
   • This analysis of social change is based on a historical analysis of classes.
   • He spoke of the historical studies with the sort of qualifiers that give one pause.
   • He demonstrates that serious historical scholarship need not be indigestible.
   • It contains practical advice as well as literary and historical learning.
   • Even when pupils take historical studies, modern teaching methods may subvert the subject.
   • They celebrated historical studies of science as ways of explaining the heroic progress of science towards truth.
   • It is common practice in historical studies of the philosophy of science to contrast the views of Mill and Whewell.
   • The book consists of an interesting introduction followed by a biblical, theological and historical study.
   • Certainly this is the way it has been portrayed in various historical studies of the press.
   • He has done this in conjunction with more traditional historical studies.
   • Today, we have the tools of historical scholarship, biblical criticism, and science.

   Synonyms

   documented, recorded, chronicled, attested, factual, verified, confirmed, archival, authentic, actual, true