historical school: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal / Academic
Quick answer
What does “historical school” mean?
A group of scholars who emphasize the evolutionary nature of law, economics, or social institutions, often opposing abstract theoretical or rationalist approaches.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A group of scholars who emphasize the evolutionary nature of law, economics, or social institutions, often opposing abstract theoretical or rationalist approaches.
An approach in various academic disciplines (e.g., law, economics, sociology) that analyzes contemporary phenomena by studying their historical development and context, arguing that institutions are organic products of history.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning. The term is used identically in academic contexts in both varieties.
Connotations
Connotes a traditional, context-focused, sometimes conservative scholarly methodology.
Frequency
Equally rare and specialized in both UK and US academic English.
Grammar
How to Use “historical school” in a Sentence
The historical school of [DISCIPLINE] (e.g., law, economics)The [NATIONALITY] Historical School (e.g., German, Austrian)belong to the historical schooloppose the historical schoolVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “historical school” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The historical-school methodology fell out of favour.
- His argument took a historical-school perspective.
American English
- A historical-school analysis was central to her thesis.
- He is known for his historical-school approach to law.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Primary context. Used in history, law, economics, and sociology to describe specific scholarly traditions.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
Core technical term within its specific disciplines.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “historical school”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “historical school”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “historical school”
- Using it as an adjective (e.g., 'historical school thinking' is acceptable, but 'historicalschool' as one word is not).
- Confusing it with the 'history of a school/university'.
- Capitalizing incorrectly when not a proper noun (e.g., 'the Historical School' vs. 'a historical school approach').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Its main idea is that social institutions, like law or the economy, cannot be understood through abstract universal theories but must be studied as unique products of a specific society's historical evolution.
Key figures include Friedrich Karl von Savigny in law and Gustav von Schmoller in economics, both associated with the 19th-century German Historical School.
As a distinct school of thought, its influence peaked in the 19th and early 20th centuries. However, its emphasis on historical context remains a fundamental part of many social science and humanities disciplines.
While positivism seeks general, verifiable laws governing society, the historical school emphasises the unique, non-repeatable nature of historical events and the importance of narrative and context over universal laws.
A group of scholars who emphasize the evolutionary nature of law, economics, or social institutions, often opposing abstract theoretical or rationalist approaches.
Historical school is usually formal / academic in register.
Historical school: in British English it is pronounced /hɪˈstɒrɪkəl skuːl/, and in American English it is pronounced /hɪˈstɔːrɪkəl skuːl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a school that teaches only from old history books, focusing on how things evolved, not just abstract theories.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWLEDGE IS A LIVING ORGANISM (it grows and evolves historically).
Practice
Quiz
The 'historical school' is primarily associated with which field?