# Ajectivalistic words

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [August 25, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461 "2003-08-25T04:54:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/61 "2003-09-02T07:34:54Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by The Ryan \*  
> \*\*Why do people feel the need to adjectify words that are already adjectives? For instance, “fascist” becomes “fascistic”, “economic” becomes “economical”, “ironic” becomes “ironical”. Are people really not able to recognize an adjective? \*\*

Economic doesn’t become economical. Economy becomes economical. And even if it was, in fact, that “economic” became “economical”, it apparently did so in the 15th century so it is a little late to bitch about now.

> **[Definition of -ICAL](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/-ical)**
>
> \-ic —sometimes differing from -ic in that adjectives formed with -ical have a wider or more transferred semantic range than corresponding adjectives in -ic… See the full definition

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**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ajectivalistic-words/197461/62 "2003-09-02T09:43:18Z")

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Don’t be silly. It’s never too late to bitch about things. Like that stupid Battle of Hastings in 1066. What was up with that?

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