-ical

Save This Word!

a combination of -ic and -al¹, used in forming adjectives from nouns (rhetorical), providing synonyms to words ending in -ic (poetical), and providing an adjective with additional meanings to those in the -ic form (economical).

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON THE 12 TYPES OF VERB TENSES!

Loosen up your grammar muscles because it’s time to test your knowledge on verb tenses!

Question 1 of 6

The verb tenses can be split into which 3 primary categories?

action, linking, and helping

dynamic, static, and auxiliary

past, present, and future

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar Coach

Improve Your Writing

Origin of -ical

Middle English <Latin -icÄ?lis.See -ic, -al¹

Words nearby -ical

I.B.T.C.W.H., ibuprofen, Ibycus, IC, ICA, -ical, -ically, I came, I saw, I conquered, ICANN, I cannot tell a lie, ICAO

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Â© Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use -ical in a sentence

And now he hears words that are known to him,â€”â€œical-akinishâ€ and â€œshilokÃ©;â€ hears them repeated again and again.
The Land of Fire|Mayne Reid
Semâ€²i-costifâ€²erous, half-bearing a rib; Semicritâ€²ical, related to a differential equation and its criticoids.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)|Various
Semâ€²i-solid, partially solid; Semispherâ€²ical, having the figure of a half-sphere.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)|Various
Irenic, Ä«-renâ€²ik, adj. tending to create peace: pacificâ€”also Irenâ€²ical.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M)|Various

Categorematâ€²ic, capable of being used by itself as a term; Categorâ€²ical, positive: absolute: without exception.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for -ical

-ical

suffix forming adjectives

a variant of -ic economical; fanatical

Derived forms of -ical

-ically, suffix forming adverbs

Word Origin for -ical

from Latin -icÄ?lis

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition Â© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Â© HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Apr	JUN	Oct
	21
2019	2021	2022