Historically
hɪˈstɒrɪkəli
Definitions
In a way that relates to history or the past; based on events or developments that have happened in the past.
hɪˈstɒrɪkəli
In a way that is concerned with or based on history.
Historically, the company's performance has been strong.
💡 Simply: It means to talk about something based on what has happened in the past. Like, 'Historically, cars have gotten faster and more efficient.'
👶 For kids: It means it's something that has happened in the past.
More Examples
Historically, women have faced challenges in certain fields.
The city was historically a major center of commerce.
How It's Used
"Historically, the region has been a center of trade."
"Historically, the party has advocated for environmental protection."
"Historically, education has served as a means of social mobility."
Idioms & expressions
historical context
The circumstances surrounding an event or situation in the past.
"Understanding the historical context is crucial to interpreting the novel."
a historically significant event
An event that is important to the past and will be remembered for a long time.
"The signing of the Declaration of Independence was a historically significant event."
From the adjective 'historic' (relating to history) + '-ally' (forming adverbs). The adjective 'historic' derives from the Latin 'historia' (history), ultimately from the Greek 'ἱστορία' (historia, inquiry, knowledge acquired by investigation).
Used widely throughout historical texts and academic writing, primarily to frame events in the past.
Memory tip
Think of a timeline – 'historically' looks back to understand the present.