Historical means related to history or to events that happened in the past. It can describe things like historical documents, historical novels, or historical research.
From Greek “historikos,” via Latin “historicus” and French “historique,” meaning “of or concerning history.” English uses “historical” for general connection to the past.
Anything from an ancient coin to last year’s news can be called “historical”—the word doesn’t judge importance, just age and connection to the past. That’s why we say a “historical novel” (set in the past) but a “historic speech” (one we think will matter). The tiny -al ending quietly changes the whole flavor of the idea.
Like ‘historic,’ ‘historical’ has often been applied to narratives centered on men’s experiences, with women and gender minorities underrepresented or stereotyped. ‘Historical’ fiction and scholarship have sometimes reproduced these imbalances as if they were neutral.
When describing something as ‘historical,’ be mindful of whose histories are included or omitted, and name when sources are male-centric.
["related to history","past","archival"]
Highlight how women and gender-diverse scholars and writers have broadened ‘historical’ work to include everyday life, care labor, and marginalized communities.
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