Meaning & use
makes sense
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Meanings
phraseidiom
Is logical or reasonable, so that the reasons for it are easy to see.
Grammar: Make agrees with its subject: it makes sense, these plans make sense.
Patterns
- it makes sense to do something
- something makes sense to someone
- it makes sense that something happens
It makes sense to book the train tickets early because prices rise later.
Her decision to study nursing makes sense, given how much she enjoys helping people.
Does it make sense to drive when the bus stops right outside?
phraseidiominformal
Is clear enough to be understood, with a meaning that can be followed.
Grammar: Often used with a person to say whether they understand: that makes sense to me.
Patterns
- something makes sense
- make sense of something
Your explanation of the rules finally makes sense to me.
None of the instructions made sense until I saw the diagram.
The sentence doesn't make sense because a word is missing.
phraseidiombusiness
Is wise or sensible from a practical or financial point of view.
Grammar: Commonly said about money or business choices: it makes financial sense.
Patterns
- makes financial sense
- makes business sense
Buying in bulk makes financial sense for a large family.
It makes business sense to open the shop near the station.
Word forms
| base form | make sense |
|---|---|
| past tense | made sense |
| -ing form | making sense |
Common combinations
- makes perfect sense
- Your worry about the cost makes perfect sense.
- makes no sense
- Leaving without your coat makes no sense in this cold.
- makes sense to me
- That plan makes sense to me.
- make sense of
- I cannot make sense of these numbers.
- makes financial sense
- Renting makes financial sense for a short stay.
- if that makes sense
- I just need a bit of space, if that makes sense.
Synonyms and how they differ
- is logical
- Is logical stresses clear step-by-step reasoning and sounds more formal than makes sense.
- adds up
- Adds up is more informal and usually used when facts or explanations fit together, often negatively as in it doesn't add up.
- stands to reason
- Stands to reason suggests the conclusion is obvious from what is already known, while makes sense can just mean sensible.
- is understandable
- Is understandable focuses on feelings or behavior that people can sympathize with, not on logic as makes sense does.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: makes sense or makes a sense?
makes sense vs makes a sense
Do not add a before sense. The phrase is makes sense, with no article.
Practice
You've already paid for the full year, so it ____ to use the gym more often.
Choose one answer.
Makes sense is the fixed expression for being reasonable. Do, have and give sense do not form this idiom in English.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “makes sense”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.