Nonsense or Nonsensical

[crazyaboutenglish]

Can someone tell me when I use "nonsense" and when I use "nonsensical"?

Thanks

 

[TheParser]

Can someone tell me when I use "nonsense" and when I use "nonsensical"?

Thanks

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


CrazyaboutEnglish,


(1) I, too, wish to know the answer.

(2) So I cannot give you the answer.

(3) I have only two suggestions:

(a) Please google "Corpus of Contemporary American

English." It gives sentences in which a particular word has been

used.

(i) When you get there, type in "nonsense." I believe that there are

more than 3,000 sentences with that word.

(ii) Do the same for "nonsensical." I believe that there are about

300 uses of the word.

(As you can see, "nonsense" seems to be more frequently used by

Americans than "nonsensical.")

(b) One other thing:

In American English, never say something like: That is a nonsense.

Some of our British friends use the indefinite article, but I believe that

Americans rarely do so.

(4) Sorry that I could not give you more help, but this website tells us non-teachers

to be very careful before answering learners' questions. I hope that

someone will soon tell you and me the difference between the two

words.

 

[BobK]

At a simplistic level,one might observe that 'nonsense' is usually a noun and 'nonsensical' is always an adjective. The trouble with this is that the noun 'nonsense' can be (and is frequently) used in the position of an attributive adjective - especially in collocations such as 'nonsense verse'.

Also, any distinction between 'That is nonsense' and 'That is nonsensical' is very very slight; in effect the meanings are identical:

• noun: 'The thing you are saying has the noun complement nonsense'.
• adj: 'It is characteristic of what you have said that it is nonsensical

My feeling is that 'nonsense' is more widely used, and with less precision. If something is nonsense, then it's just vaguely somewhere in the realm of what is silly/stupid/pointless...; but when you describe something as nonsensical you are saying that it lacks sense. But as TP said, the best thing to do is probably to check in a corpus. ;-)

b

 

[TheParser]

At a simplistic level,one might observe that 'nonsense' is usually a noun and 'nonsensical' is always an adjective. The trouble with this is that the noun 'nonsense' can be (and is frequently) used in the position of an attributive adjective - especially in collocations such as 'nonsense verse'.


Also, any distinction between 'That is nonsense' and 'That is nonsensical' is very very slight; in effect the meanings are identical:

• noun: 'The thing you are saying has the noun complement nonsense'.
• adj: 'It is characteristic of what you have said that it is nonsensical

My feeling is that 'nonsense' is more widely used, and with less precision. If something is nonsense, then it's just vaguely somewhere in the realm of what is silly/stupid/pointless...; but when you describe something as nonsensical you are saying that it lacks sense. But as TP said, the best thing to do is probably to check in a corpus. ;-)

b

Which word would you use in this sentence:

Country X is currently conducting a ______ war in country Y.

I notice that both words are used.

Which is more "correct"?

 

[Barb_D]

I suggest when nonsense is used adjectivally, it's after the noun.

That idea was nonsense.
NOT: That was a nonsense idea.

 

[BobK]

I suggest when nonsense is used adjectivally, it's after the noun.

That idea was nonsense.
NOT: That was a nonsense idea.

:up: With 'idea', I agree. I imagine people could (informally) use it - on the analogy - of expressions like 'that was a rubbish idea' or even very very informally, and somewhat indecorously , 'that was a cr*p idea'. I've recently heard 'Do you think my idea is pants?'. Nouns get everywhere!

b