make sense
meɪk SENS
/meɪk sɛns/
To be intelligible, justifiable, or practical.
Suggests that the logic 'constructs' a clear picture in the mind.
The story behind the word. 'Sense' comes from the Latin 'sensus', meaning perception or feeling. When something 'makes sense', it 'creates' a perception that our minds can easily grasp and organize.
Word relationships
- be logical: A more formal way to describe something that makes sense.
- add up: An informal idiom meaning the facts are consistent and make sense.
- be nonsensical: To have no meaning or logic.
- be absurd: To be wildly illogical or inappropriate.
Commonly confused with
- feel right: 'Feel right' is emotional; 'make sense' is logical.
Word family
- sensible (adjective): Having or showing good sense.
Collocations
- make perfect sense
- make no sense
- make sense of something
Idioms & expressions
- common sense
Example sentences
- "The instructions for this IKEA desk don't make sense at all." Problem Solving
- "'The world only makes sense when you are in love.'" Philosophy
Memory hook
You 'make' a logical bridge in your head. Logic 'makes' the picture clear.
When not to use
Do not use 'do sense'.
Fun facts
- The phrase 'make sense' didn't become common in English until the 16th century.
- In some languages, you 'have' sense rather than 'make' it.
Related words
Explore more words
lucid, coherent, rationalize, perceive, rationale, articulate
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