The historical cost principle states that businesses must record and account for most assets and liabilities at their purchase or acquisition price. In other words, businesses have to record an asset on their balance sheet for the amount paid for the asset. The asset cost or price is then never adjusted for changes in the market or economy and changes due to inflation.
An accounting method in which assets are listed on a balance sheet with the value at which they were purchased, rather than the current market value. The historical cost principle is used to reflect the amount of capital expended to acquire an asset, and is useful for matching against changes in profits or expenses relating to the asset purchased, as well as for determining past opportunity costs.