Many modifies things that can be counted (i.e., count nouns). Much modifies things that can't be counted (i.e., mass nouns). In other words, many tends to modify plural nouns, and much tends to modify singular nouns. For example, we write many doctors, many stars, and many dollars because these ... Read more
Politics
As a term for the art or science of governing or for the activities and methods of seeking political office, the noun politics may be either plural or singular. Writers of this century more often treat it as singular---e.g., "Politics is a dirty game"---but when the word is shorthand for political ... Read more
Clean vs. cleanse
The verbs clean and cleanse share the definition to remove dirt or filth from. But clean is more often used literally. For example, you clean the floor, the dishes, and your hair. Cleanse, meanwhile, is more often figurative. For example, you might cleanse your soul by confessing your sins, or ... Read more
Classic vs. classical
Classical has a few narrow definitions, including (1) of or relating to the ancient Greeks or Romans, (2) of or relating to a peak stage of a civilization, and (3) of or relating to European orchestral music of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. These aren't the only definitions of classical. ... Read more
Unkempt, unkept
Unkept and unkempt share the broad definition neglected or not properly maintained, but unkempt is usually reserved for describing a person's rough appearance. The word is derived from the older unkembed, meaning uncombed, and is most appropriate (etymologically considered) in reference to ... Read more
Money-grabbing vs. money-grubbing
A money-grubbing person is one who greedily seeks to obtain money at every opportunity. The phrasal adjective derives from the noun money-grubber, which uses the verb grub in the sense of to dig or search. Money-grubbing dates from the early 19th century.1 It is possibly the source of ... Read more
Whoever vs. whomever
Like the objective pronoun whom, whomever works only as an object of a verb or preposition. Everywhere else, the correct pronoun is whoever (which, like who, is a nominative pronoun). Think of it this way: Whoever acts, and whomever is acted upon. Examples Misuse of whomever is very common. For ... Read more
Widow, widower
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died. The word usually refers to a bereaved woman who has not remarried. Widower is simply the male equivalent of widow. It refers to a man who has lost his spouse and has not remarried. The words come from Old English, where widow was wydewe and widower was ... Read more
Bereaved vs. bereft
Bereft and bereaved are both past-tense and past-participial inflections of the verb bereave, which means to leave desolate or alone, especially by death. By convention, bereaved is appropriate in reference to someone who has lost a loved one by death, and bereft is better in reference to other ... Read more
Certainty vs. certitude
There isn't much difference between certainty and certitude. One definition that certainty does not share with certitude is something that is clearly established or certain. But where certainty means the state of being certain, it is very close to certitude, which means the state of feeling ... Read more
