Barometrical

/ˌbærəˈmɛtrɪkəl/ adjective

Definition

An alternative or archaic form meaning the same as barometric—relating to barometers or atmospheric pressure measurement.

Etymology

An older variant of barometric formed by adding the -al suffix instead of just -ic; both forms coexist in English but -ic is now preferred. This variant was more common in 18th and 19th-century scientific writing.

Kelly Says

English used to have many more adjective variants like this (barometric vs. barometrical), but we've gradually simplified our language over time, keeping only the shortest versions—which is why you'll barely see 'barometrical' in modern writing, even though older science books are full of it.

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