Coarse vs Course
Coarse and course look and sound similar, but they have different meanings and uses. Coarse is an adjective describing something ordinary or subpar. It can also be used to describe a rough texture. Course is a noun describing a path which something takes. It can also describe a specific action or procedure, as well as a part of a meal and a class on a certain subject.
Here are some definitions and examples to help make the use of these words clearer.
Coarse (adjective)
of ordinary or subpar value
rough in texture
Examples:
The cabin was built of coarse wood logs.
The horse’s mane was tangled and coarse.
In the first example, coarse describes the subpar quality of the logs with which the cabin is built. In the second example, coarse is used to describe the texture of a horse’s rough hair. Coarse can also be used to describe the metaphorical coarseness of a person’s manners or speech.
Course (noun)
a path which something takes
a specific action or procedure
Examples:
The planets follow their course around the sun.
Let the medicine run its course.
In the first example, course describes the physical path the planets take around the sun. In the second example, course is used to describe a normal action; a certain medicine can be expected to work a certain way. This is the origin of the popular phrase “of course,” a simplified version of “as a matter of course.”
Main Points
- Coarse means of ordinary or subpar value or rough in texture.
- Course means a path which something takes or a specific action or procedure.
- Coarse can also describe a person’s manners or speech.
- Course can also mean a part of a meal or an academic class.