Sensical

Sensical is an adjective meaning reasonable or making sense; it describes statements, arguments, or conclusions that align with evidence, reason, or common sense rather than emotion or whim.

Usage notes: Sensical is rarer than sensible and is more likely to appear in informal, playful, or rhetorical contexts. In formal writing, sensible or rational is usually preferred. Sensical should not be confused with sensorial or sensual, which relate to physical perception or pleasure. Because sensical is less common, some readers may consider it idiosyncratic or humorous when used outside of familiar contexts.

Etymology and relation to similar terms: The word is formed from sense with the adjectival suffix -ical. It sits in a different niche from sensible, which emphasizes practicality or prudence, and from rational or logical, which focus on argument structure. While sensical can convey that something makes logical sense, the nuance is subtly broader, often pairing with evidence or coherent reasoning.

Examples: The committee reached a sensical conclusion after reviewing the data. Her analysis is sensical and well-supported by the figures. In casual conversation, people might use sensical to underscore that a point “just makes sense,” but in scholarly writing, authors typically choose more common terms such as sensible, rational, or logical.