What is the appropriate usage of "symmetrical" and "symmetric" (using the geometrical adjectival definition of both terms)? Are they synonymous?
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4At least in a mathematical context, I think "symmetric" is far more common. For one thing, there are many technical terms where "symmetric" is the correct choice (e.g. "symmetric space", "symmetric relation", "symmetric group"). I can't think of any technical term including "symmetrical". – Sam Lisi Apr 27 '12 at 07:54
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8Related: “electric” vs. “electrical”, “symbolic” vs. “symbolical”, “scientific” vs. “scientifical”, and the most excellent general discussion Why is it “geometric” but “theoretical”? – RegDwigнt Apr 27 '12 at 09:39
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Thanks for that last link @RegDwightΒВBẞ8, the answers there are great. – naught101 Apr 27 '12 at 13:31
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Related Acoustic vs acoustical – Phil Sweet May 16 '18 at 18:07
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Possible duplicate of What is the difference between "electric" and "electrical" and their usage? – Bread May 17 '18 at 00:55
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Merriam-Webster lists symmetric as being a variant of symmetrical, which is the 'official' dictionary entry:
symmetrical, adj : 1 : having or involving symmetry : exhibiting symmetry : exhibiting correspondence in size and shape of parts : BALANCED, REGULAR {the human body is symmetrical} {crystals are often symmetrical} {a symmetrical garden} {a symmetrical grouping}
Gnawme
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Based on this definition, something that is symmetrical may be less than perfectly symmetric. It may only involve symmetry, without actually being symmetric. The "AL" ending suggests something that is "of" another thing (symmetry) without necessarily being exactly it. – sjb-sjb Sep 24 '19 at 10:59
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"Symmetrical" is a non-technical term, to describe any object that has symmetry; for example, a human face. "Symmetric" means "relating to symmetry", and is also used in a number of technical mathematical contexts (see Sam Lisi's comment under the question).
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@naught101: how do you think the wiktionary definitions are inconsistent with David's? – Mitch Apr 27 '12 at 14:44
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1I don't agree with symmetrical being a nontechnical term. Dorland's Medical Dictionary lists only "symmetrical," and the definition is: "pertaining to or exhibiting symmetry; in chemistry, denoting compounds which contain atoms or groups at equal intervals in the molecule." (Sounds technical to me.) – JLG Apr 27 '12 at 14:54
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@mitch, because symmetric is defined as "symmetrical" - I assume that's supposed to mean it's a perfect synonym. – naught101 Apr 27 '12 at 15:12
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1@naught101: 1) there are no perfect synonyms. Ever. And a crowd sourced definition ain't gonna specify enough to judge. 2) wiktionary is not definitive. Don't take anything it says as gospel or draw logical conclusions from it. Frankly the same could be said for the OED, but wiktionary is not written by people who have spent a long time judging such things. – Mitch Apr 27 '12 at 16:23
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I wonder if there is some confusion about meaning of the statement "'Symmetrical' is a non-technical term." It seems to me that it can be interpreted in two ways: that it is a term that is not only used in technical contexts (which seems true), or that it is a term that is rarely used in technical contexts (which seems false). – herisson Mar 01 '17 at 01:13
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@mitch Just an example: "right angle" and "90° angle". Are these not perfect synonyms? – Stefan Reich Aug 24 '22 at 20:57
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@StefanReich In technical areas (like math and science) terms often have 'stipulated' definitions and if two different terms have the same stipulated definition, then yes they can be replaceable one for the other (that's how technical definitions are supposed to work). So I suppose -sometimes- there can be perfect synonyms, but only when the social situation makes technical expectations. But even technical terms can have semantic slippage and different connotations. – Mitch Aug 25 '22 at 12:44
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@Mitch I guess it's mostly the field you are currently in that determines how "sharp" synonyms are. – Stefan Reich Aug 30 '22 at 16:22
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@StefanReich 'sharp' is also vague. Even if it refers to a mathematically precise point threshold, the threshold is usually unspecified, undetermined, or unknowable. 'sharp' just says there -is- a threshold, not what the threshold is. It could be very different (and with different levels of precision) depending on context. – Mitch Aug 31 '22 at 20:13
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@Mitch It was interesting to talk at first, but we have reached the point of saying nothing at all. – Stefan Reich Sep 01 '22 at 11:53
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I suggest that items may be symmetric in appearance; therefore, they are symmetrical. Ex: My hands are symmetric in appearance; therefore, they are symmetrical.
Laura
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Perhaps when speaking about one item as a whole, it is "symmetrical" (meaning that both individual sides are similar to one another); however, when speaking of both parts individually, they are "symmetric" to one another.
Laura
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1Is this a part of your other answer? Please edit the previous answer to add this part to it. Then delete this answer. – NVZ Mar 01 '17 at 01:48