Supposed or sensible? This spelling mistake is quite common, but this article will prevent you from making it, once and for all!
The choice between “supposed” and “sensible” is a textbook case. To make a mistake is to make one of those spelling mistakes that are quite common, but which can be bad. These two terms, although phonetically similar, actually carry distinct meanings and are used in different contexts. Explanations.
The term “sensible” is derived from the Latin word “sensus,” which translates to “sense” or “reason.” As an adjective, “sensible” describes something that is logical, reasonable, or judicious. So, with the word “sensible” you express the idea of a reasonable or sensible action in a certain context. We use it, for example, to say that a person is “sensible”, that they have “common sense”, that they are “reasonable” in their choices.
The term “supposed” finds its roots in the Latin “censere,” which means “to estimate” or “to judge.” In French, it is mainly used as an adjective meaning “supposed to” or “intended to”. It still means “who must”.
The key to choosing between these two terms often lies in the context of the sentence. If the intention is to convey an obligation or assumption, “supposed” is the appropriate choice. And it is easy to know if this is the term that should be used. How ? If it is possible to replace it with “supposed”.
So, between the sentence “I’m supposed to join her” and “I’m supposed to join her”, which is correct? Since the sentence can also be “I’m supposed to join her” or “I should join her”, then it should be written “I’m supposed to join her”. The phrase suggests that the person has a moral or social obligation to go to a specific location. But be careful, it can also be “sensible” to go and join this person, right? But the meaning of the sentence is not the same!
“Supposed” is also the most frequently used. For example, we will often say “He is supposed to arrive at 8 o’clock”, “He is supposed to do this work” to express that it is planned or expected of a person. The predominance of “supposed” in common usage reflects its broader reach in everyday language, where “sensible” finds use in more specific contexts, related to rationality or logic.
In our initial example, to use “sensible”, the sentence would also be turned differently to be truly correct. We would rather write or say “It makes sense to join her”, in the sense of “It makes sense to join her”. This time, we apply the term to a coherent and justified idea or action, showing clear thinking or logic.
The subtlety between “supposed” and “sensible” may seem disconcerting at first, but the nuance is nevertheless very clear. The key lies in understanding the context and selecting the term that corresponds to the intention you wish to communicate.