15
votes
Accepted
"Geometric" or "Geometrical"?
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 ...
- 9,495
14
votes
Accepted
"Magic" versus "magical"
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 ...
- 134k
9
votes
Accepted
Adjective usage of 'mystic' vs 'mystical'
The SOED does not take those two adjectives as synonyms.
(SOED) mystic
4. Of hidden meaning or nature; enigmatic, mysterious.
5. Inspiring an awed sense of mystery.
(SOED) mystical
4. Of or ...
- 13.5k
7
votes
Is there a difference between "geographic" and "geographical"?
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 ...
- 60.1k
5
votes
gynecological or gynecologic?
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.
...
- 1,029
5
votes
Adjective usage of 'mystic' vs 'mystical'
You could make the same points about "magic" and "magical" (Disneyworld includes the "Magic Kingdom," but until recently it featured an airport shuttle bus called "...
- 5,611
4
votes
Which term is better: "electric circuit" or "electrical circuit"?
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, ...
- 7,074
3
votes
Accepted
Hyperbolic vs Hyperbolical
'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 ...
- 2,902
3
votes
What is the difference between "graphic" and "graphical" as adjectives?
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 ...
- 2,379
3
votes
Accepted
electrical equipment vs electric car
The US legal definitions website defines electrical equipment as
any apparatus, device, integral component, or integral part used in an activity which is electrically, electronically, mechanically,...
- 16.3k
2
votes
Usage of "symmetrical" and "symmetric"
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 "...
- 41
2
votes
Usage of "symmetrical" and "symmetric"
I suggest that items may be symmetric in appearance; therefore, they are symmetrical. Ex: My hands are symmetric in appearance; therefore, they are symmetrical.
- 41
2
votes
"Magic" versus "magical"
There is a slight difference between magic and magical.
magic (adjective) ~ 1. pertaining to magic (n.); used in magic (n.); having the power of magic (n.); as, "a magic wand" and 2. producing ...
- 5,560
2
votes
What is the difference between "graphic" and "graphical" as adjectives?
There is a very technical meaning which might illustrate one of the norms that Wilson mentioned. In mathematics, a graph is a representation of objects where some pairs of objects are connected by ...
- 51
2
votes
Which term is better: "electric circuit" or "electrical circuit"?
Both of them are correct, but there is a subtle difference there.
Electric refers to something that runs on electricity; for example, an electric car, electric kettle, electric circuit.
Electrical ...
- 169
2
votes
Dragons are "fantastic" creatures or "fantastical" creatures?
I personally find two distinct senses for each word. If we have to pick one or the other, the one I would choose would fit in as many different ways as possible.
fantastic
great; superlative.
...
- 562
2
votes
Accepted
"metaphoric" versus "metaphorical"
There is no difference between metaphoric and metaphorical, but
you are right, metaphorical is more commonly used.
This ngram graphs the use of metaphoric and metaphorical in English-language books ...
- 13.6k
2
votes
Accepted
Fantastic and fantastical
Dictionary.com is oversimplifying in this case, but only by a little. The OED draws a clear distinction between the two words, despite many senses that directly overlap.
All of the non-obsolete ...
- 22k
1
vote
Accepted
logic/logical, arithmetic/arithmetical operators
It's arithmetic operators and logical operators. That's the usage in Bjarne Stroustrup's The C++ Programming Language.
Among other things, Stroustrup was recently awarded the Charles Stark Draper ...
- 4,619
1
vote
Accepted
Are words like "heroical" and "empirical" morphologically redundant?
They're not redundant; just a matter of choice…
I’ve read endless volumes of myths and legends of Egypt, Greece and Rome, Uruk, various parts of Africa and US America, England, Scotland and Ireland ...
- 2,318
1
vote
"symmetrical to" or "symmetric to"
A Google Ngram chart of "is symmetric to" (blue line) vs. "is symmetrical to" (red line) vs. "is symmetric with (green line) vs. "is symmetrical with" (yellow line) for the period 1800–2005, with ...
- 151k
1
vote
Difference between 'acoustic' and 'acoustical'
Unfortunately, the predominant use in a particular location wins this argument as there is no logical reason for using one form over the other. For instance, we say electric guitar but electrical ...
1
vote
Accepted
Difference between 'acoustic' and 'acoustical'
The Acousical Society of America pondered this question for years before including definitions and usage rules in a 1955 update to their glossary of acoustical terms.
A report of the discussion is ...
- 14.3k
1
vote
Difference between 'acoustic' and 'acoustical'
The only material differences that I can see are that "acoustic" can be used as a noun as well as an adjective, whereas "acoustical" is only adjectival. The usage of "acoustical" is also more common ...
- 141
1
vote
What is the difference between -ic and -al?
The OED notes that
[o]ften ... the form in ic is restricted to the sense of 'of' or 'of
the nature of' the subject in question, while that in -ical has
wider or more transferred senses ...
- 43.9k
1
vote
The use of the suffix -al in adjectives
These sites might help:
http://grammarist.com/usage/historic-historical/
http://grammarist.com/spelling/metaphoric-metaphorical/
Some of these types of pairs undergo differentiation whereby they ...
- 17.7k
1
vote
Accepted
Is the following sentence odd? "I find them comic"
As both your research and Edwin Ashworth have pointed out, there is no reason to reject the word comic as incorrect. Ms. Doughty has significant semantic support for her choice, even if it seems like ...
- 30.4k
1
vote
"Magic" versus "magical"
A number of usage commentators have visited the questions of whether and to what extent magic and magical differ as adjectives. The earliest reference work I have found that addresses these questions ...
- 151k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible