historic criticism

A form of historical criticism — The systematic study of received texts, especially the Bible, as documents composed in a particular historical context with varying reliability as sources.

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Meanings

nounhistoric criticism (uncountable)
  1. archaicuncountableArchaic form of historical criticism.

    By such means Thucydides was the inventor of an art, which before him had been almost unknown, the art of historic criticism, without being conscious of the infinite value of his invention.

    1850, Thomas Noon Talfourd, Edward Pococke, “The Greek Historians”, in History of Greek Literature, 2nd edition, page 293
    1 more example

    […] while M. Renan will claim to approach the Scriptures as critic, it will chiefly be for the purpose of discharging the functions of historic criticism by explaining and illustrating an ancient document.

    1870, Bickerstaffe, “Renan’s St. Paul”, in The Christian Ambassador, volume 8, page 135
Cite this entry
APA

historic criticism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/historic%20criticism

MLA

“historic criticism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/historic%20criticism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “historic criticism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/historic%20criticism.

Source: historic criticism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.