historicism

H4I1S1T1O1R1I1C3I1S1M3

noun

A theory that events are influenced by historical conditions, rather than by people.

OriginGerman Historismus →
UncommonScrabble 18
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Meanings

nounhistoricism (countable and uncountable, plural historicisms)

plural historicisms

  1. countableuncountableA theory that events are influenced by historical conditions, rather than by people.
  2. countableuncountableartThe use of historical styles in contemporary art.
  3. countableuncountablelifestyleA method of interpretation in Christian eschatology which attempts to associate Biblical prophecies with actual historical events and symbolic beings with historical persons or societies.

Origin

  1. GermanHistorismus
  2. Englishhistoricism

Calque of German Historismus, historic + -ism.

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic التاريخية
  • التاريخيةtheory that relates events to historical context
Basque historizismo
  • historizismotheory that relates events to historical context
Bulgarian историцизъм
  • историцизъм (istoricizăm)theory that relates events to historical context
Catalan historicisme
  • historicismetheory that relates events to historical context
Chinese Cantonese 歷史主義 /历史主义
  • 歷史主義 /历史主义theory that relates events to historical context
Chinese Mandarin 歷史主義 /历史主义
  • 歷史主義 /历史主义 (lìshǐ zhǔyì)theory that relates events to historical context
Danish historicisme
  • historicismetheory that relates events to historical context
Dutch historicisme
  • historicismetheory that relates events to historical context
Esperanto historiismo
  • historiismotheory that relates events to historical context
Estonian historitsism
  • historitsismtheory that relates events to historical context
Finnish historismi
  • historismitheory that relates events to historical context
French historicisme
  • historicismetheory that relates events to historical context
German Historizismus
  • Historizismustheory that relates events to historical context
Hebrew היסטוריציזם
  • היסטוריציזםtheory that relates events to historical context
Hungarian historicizmus
  • historicizmustheory that relates events to historical context
Indonesian historisisme
  • historisismetheory that relates events to historical context
Italian storicismo
  • storicismotheory that relates events to historical context
Japanese 歴史主義
  • 歴史主義theory that relates events to historical context
Korean 역사주의
  • 역사주의 (yeoksajuui)theory that relates events to historical context
Lithuanian istorizmas
  • istorizmastheory that relates events to historical context
Norwegian Bokmål historisisme
  • historisismetheory that relates events to historical context
Persian تاریخگرایی
  • تاریخگراییtheory that relates events to historical context
Polish historycyzm
  • historycyzmtheory that relates events to historical context
Portuguese historicismo
  • historicismotheory that relates events to historical context
Romanian istoricism
  • istoricismtheory that relates events to historical context
Spanish historicismo
  • historicismotheory that relates events to historical context
Swedish historicism
  • historicismtheory that relates events to historical context
Turkish tarihselcilik
  • tarihselciliktheory that relates events to historical context
Ukrainian історизм
  • історизм (istoryzm)theory that relates events to historical context
Urdu تاریخیت
  • تاریخیت (tārexet)theory that relates events to historical context
Cite this entry
APA

historicism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/historicism

MLA

“historicism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/historicism. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “historicism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/historicism.

Source: historicism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.