Ironic or ironical?

Question

I always thought the word was 'ironic', but recently I've heard a lot of people using 'ironical'. It sounds wrong to me, but I was wondering if it's a real word and if anyone knows why people suddenly seem to have adopted it?

Answer 1

Ironical is a form of the word ironic, but I have never heard anyone use it. Even in the dictionary, any examples given use the term ironic, not ironical.

Answer 2

This is from dictionary.com. I hope it would help you with your question:

"Usage Note: The words ironic, irony, and ironically are sometimes used of events and circumstances that might better be described as simply "coincidental" or "improbable," in that they suggest no particular lessons about human vanity or folly. Thus 78 percent of the Usage Panel rejects the use of ironically in the sentence In 1969 Susie moved from Ithaca to California where she met her husband-to-be, who, ironically, also came from upstate New York. Some Panelists noted that this particular usage might be acceptable if Susie had in fact moved to California in order to find a husband, in which case the story could be taken as exemplifying the folly of supposing that we can know what fate has in store for us. By contrast, 73 percent accepted the sentence Ironically, even as the government was fulminating against American policy, American jeans and videocassettes were the hottest items in the stalls of the market, where the incongruity can be seen as an example of human inconsistency."

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ironic

Answer 3

Personally I would NEVER say academical OR ironical - kinda ironical dotchya think? If necessary I would restructure the sentence to avoid using such words of dubious repute.

Answer 4

Ironic is correct - bizarrely I was just telling my boyfriend yesterday how much people saying ironical irritates me.

Answer 5

ironic

Answer 6

ironic is the right one, but while talking i prefer using ironical as an adj.

Answer 7

Ironic is correct ironical is not.( unlike classic and classical.)

Answer 8

they're probably just trying to be arty or getting confused with ironically. stick with ironic i say - if its good enough for alanis morisette its good enough for me!

Answer 9

Both words are proper and have exactly the same meaning. Just take your choice.