Stylistical

Stylistical is an adjective relating to style or to stylistics, the study of how language and form convey meaning through style. Derived from style plus the suffix -ical, stylistical is a recognized but relatively uncommon variant of stylistic. It appears most often in technical discussions, older texts, or certain compound expressions such as stylistical features or stylistical analysis.

In linguistics and literary studies, stylistical features refer to properties of language or composition that influence how a text is perceived. A stylistical analysis examines choices of diction, syntax, figurative language, rhythm, and discourse structure to account for tone, register, and authorial intention. The term can describe patterns that vary across genres, periods, or individual authors.

Usage notes indicate that, in contemporary English, stylistic is the standard adjective, while stylistical is typically reserved for technical phrases or regarded as archaic. The related field is stylistics, and the noun form for the study of style is also stylistics.

See also stylistics, rhetoric, discourse analysis.