at some time in the past or over past periods of time
She historically took the bus to work before buying a car.
The village has historically relied on fishing for its income.
✦ formed from historic +-ally in the late 17th century to mean ‘in reference to history’.
from the point of view of history or historians; concerning what actually happened in the past
Historically, scholars believed the sun revolved around the earth.
The building is historically significant because it hosted the first parliament.
✦ Same as sense 1; later extended in the 19th century to mean ‘from a historian’s viewpoint’.
