13
First, we should look at the definitions (from Google)
Classic:
adjective /ˈklasik/
Judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind
a classic novel
a classic car
(of a garment or design) Of a simple elegant style not greatly subject to changes in fashion
this classic navy blazer
...
answered Nov 17 '11 at 4:21
Mr. Shiny and New 安宇
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11
The two adjectival forms:
geometric, electric
geometrical, electrical
But the 2nd form is closer towards forming adverbs
geometrically, electrically
Some words skip the 1st form altogether, so that these words are not used or rarely used
whimsic, theoretic
Some words tend to discourage the use of the 2nd form
fantastical
Anecdotal evidence would ...
10
My brain eventually suggested that 'dynamic' refers to something changing (i.e. non-static), while 'dynamical' refers to something involving dynamics. Searching along these lines, I think this answer really hits it (english.stackexchange.com/a/31650/23771). To motivate the need, or validity, of this distinction, consider a typical (scientific) example,
'...
7
I think with careful speakers/writers, explicitly structurally adjectival magical is usually reserved for metaphoric usages, whereas magic tends to be more literally to do with the "supernatural". So if I were considering the utterances of a careful speaker, I would expect this distinction...
1: "You should read this magic book" (it's a book about magic)...
6
The adjective classic is defined as 'exemplary of a particular style' or 'exhibiting timeless quality'. For example, a 'classic car'.
The adjective classical, in the sense you describe regarding textbooks, means 'of or pertaining to established principles in a discipline'. For example, 'classical mechanics'.
So to answer your question, 'classical' would be ...
6
In my experience with the medical community and scientific literature, neurological is a far more common adjective than neurologic. However, as far as I can tell, both words are equally correct when used to refer to the study of, or anything pertaining to, the nervous system. But a quick example might help to illustrate the relative prevalence of the two.
...
6
I don't know that there's any general rule about how you would interpret adjectives that sound similar or have common roots.
In the examples you give, "historic" means that an event is important; "historical" means something related to history. So an "historical novel" would be a story about history, that is, a story set in the past. An "historic novel" ...
6
An answer given here explains the difference:
dynamic: characterized by action or forcefulness or force of
personality; "a dynamic market"; "a dynamic speaker"; "the dynamic
president of the republic"
dynamical: refers to specific systems that
change over time or dimension A dynamical systems is a mathematical
formalization for any fixed "...
5
The OED has only one entry for both words: there is no difference between them other than the one being a syllable longer than the other.
Laconic lovers of brevity who try never to use an -ical word when the corresponding -ic one will do would surely select the lighter calendric.
On the other hand, prolix writers and stentorian speakers of a more long-...
5
Irene's, Mustafa's, and Jack's distinctions ring true, and those are indeed many of the invited inferences that cluster around these two words. There are more, and more ways to talk about them.
Comic occurs most often in generic terms, like comic opera, stand-up comic, a pile of comics (cf a couple of comics, a pair of comics), referring to things or ...
5
Merriam-Webster lists symmetric as being a variant of symmetrical, which is the 'official' dictionary entry:
symmetrical, adj : 1 : having or involving symmetry : exhibiting symmetry : exhibiting correspondence in size and shape of parts :
BALANCED, REGULAR {the human body is symmetrical} {crystals are often
symmetrical} {a symmetrical garden} {a ...
5
Merriam-Webster gives both gynecologic and gynecological as an adjective. Therefore, whether you use one or the other is at your discretion, but I would advise being consistent with your decision.
However, the OED recognizes only gynaecological (note the added a), which suggests that gynecologic (or gynaecologic) is the nonstandard form of the word in ...
4
‘The Cambridge Guide to English Usage’ acknowledges that there is often no reason for preferring one to the other, but points out that in some cases ‘the -ic spelling corresponds more closely to the core meaning of the stem, while the meaning of the -ical spelling is rather generalised.’
It has dedicated articles on a number of particular word pairs.
Of ...
4
‘The Cambridge Guide to English Usage’ has a good article on this. Here’s an extract:
While classic has become a more popular and subjective word, classical
maintains the higher ground. It is suffused with a sense of history
and great artistic traditions: classical music is associated with a
period of outstanding music in western Europe in C18 and ...
4
Every single dictionary link I found redirects hierarchic to hierarchical. It seems as though there is absolutely no distinction between the meanings of two words and hierarchical is vastly preferred. NGram data fully supports this preference.
Therefore, always use hierarchical.
As for why it is hierarchical and not hierarchic, please see the previously ...
4
Unlike the first answer, I disagree and feel that "electrical circuit" is correct. Electric does refer to things that run on electricity but circuits are not things that run on electricity like cars, irons, cell phones, toasters, TVs, etc.
We say "electrical engineer" and not "electric engineer" because electrical is an adjective used to describe things ...
3
Part 1:
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/historic-versus-historical.aspx
To summarize, historic has a connotation that carries importance; historical does not have that connotation, and more to do with age.
Part 2:
http://ask.metafilter.com/112240/When-to-use-ctive-and-ctional
Sometimes it is easier to comprehend the difference between similar ...
3
There's no inherent difference between the two words themselves, but it's important to note the two broad shades of meaning - relating to humour and funny (ha-ha).
In terms of actual usage, comic is far more common in general parlance today for both senses, but some people may think the longer form comical is somehow more "emphatic" for very amusing.
Also ...
3
Comical - Humorous, lighted-hearted situation or behavior inspiring amusement.
Comic - In contrast to tragic. From the point of view of the ancient Greek dramatists, tragedy had to involve the fate of a great personage, e.g. a king. Comedy on the other hand, dealt with the common people, the masses. To this day, this formula remains intact in that comedy as ...
3
'Hyperbolic' is definitely correct for the maths, geometry, and science. The terms examples are:
hyperbolic function
hyperbolic trajectory
hyperbolic equilibrium
'Hyperbolic' is also correct for exaggeration.
'Hyperbolical' is rarely used, you can only find that in dictionaries, all the spellcheckers mark it as a mistake.
This word is used in a form ...
3
As explained in the following extract from the Grammarist the two terms have the same meaning and usage. Geographical is the original adjective, geographic is a later variant, probably from French geographique.
Geographic vs geographical:
Geographic is an adjective that describes something or someone as pertaining to geography, the study of the location ...
2
In some cases, the usage changes over time (as noted already)...
2
To the best of my recollection, examples I've seen in literature tend to use "ironical" when applied to speech or behavior, and "ironic" when applied to events or circumstances. (That would loosely follow the pattern of "historical" and "historic.")
2
As a native of America, I will say that most speakers are not good examples of what constitutes correct usage (although it exactly constitutes popular usage). Also, citing occurrence statistics does not provide any clarity, meaning, or value, since you are citing the usage statistics or words that are not synonyms.
Here is how I would attempt to explain the ...
2
As you point out, in the American Academy of Neurology Writing Styles And Standards Guide, available online at http://www.aan.com/globals/axon/assets/3078.pdf, there is the entry on page 11:
Neurologic vs.
Neurological —
The word neurologic is preferred to neurological when used as an adjective.
I don't think it gets any more authoritative in this ...
2
For -ic vs -ical see a Metrolingua entry that basically states that most uses overlap almost entirely, but in some cases there is a distinction, as in economic vs economical, where economical implies thrifty, and economic really just refers to anything relating to economy. I don't know if this applies to any examples of the -ogous suffix.
The article ...
2
Perhaps when speaking about one item as a whole, it is "symmetrical" (meaning that both individual sides are similar to one another); however, when speaking of both parts individually, they are "symmetric" to one another.
2
I suggest that items may be symmetric in appearance; therefore, they are symmetrical. Ex: My hands are symmetric in appearance; therefore, they are symmetrical.
2
As an adjective 'graphic' refers more directly to the actual process of drawing, or the discipline that has evolved from what used to involve training one how to draw. But 'graphical' refers less directly to drawing as a process, but to the visual result.
As a noun, all depictions are 'graphics', whether drawn or projected.
'Graphic' also has the meaning ...
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