Historicism

A word that sounds like it means something kinda obvious, but is really hard to define when pressed. Lots of disciplines use the term - so here is a fairly concise way of thinking about it specifically for history class:

Historicism is an approach in history that focuses on comprehending events, cultures, and societies within their specific historical settings. It emphasizes understanding the past on its terms, considering the unique beliefs, values, and circumstances of people living during that time. Instead of imposing present-day judgments, this approach enables a deeper exploration of the complexities and motivations behind historical actions and decisions, revealing history as a dynamic and evolving narrative.

The big idea, I suppose, is that historicism places the problem of historical knowledge in its historical context. Human actions including those that involve change and development have to be explained according to their specific historical contexts.