In contrast to such systematic names, there are traditional
names, semisystematic or trivial, which are widely used for a
core group of common compounds. Examples are "acetic acid",
"benzene", "cholesterol", "styrene", "formaldehyde", "water",
"iron". Many of these names are also part of general
nonscientific language and are thus not confined to use within
the science of chemistry. They are useful, and in many cases
indispensable (consider the alternative systematic name for
cholesterol, for example). Little is to be gained, and certainly
much to be lost, by replacing such names. Therefore, where they
meet the requirements of utility and precision, and can be
expected to continue to be widely used by chemists and others,
they are retained and, for the most part, preferred in this
Guide. Semisystematic names also exist, such as "methane",
"propanol", and "benzoic acid", which are so familiar that few
chemists realize that they are not fully systematic. They are
retained, and indeed, in some cases there are no