practical
Americanadjective
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of or relating to practice or action.
practical mathematics.
- Synonyms:
- pragmatic
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consisting of, involving, or resulting from practice or action.
a practical application of a rule.
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of, relating to, or concerned with ordinary activities, business, or work.
a habitual dreamer, who can't be bothered with practical affairs.
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adapted or designed for actual use; useful.
practical instructions.
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engaged or experienced in actual practice or work.
a practical politician credited with much legislation.
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inclined toward or fitted for actual work or useful activities.
looking for a practical person to fill this position.
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mindful of the results, usefulness, advantages or disadvantages, etc., of action or procedure.
- Antonyms:
- foolish, unwise, imprudent, ill-advised
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being such in practice or effect; virtual.
Her promotion to manager is a practical certainty.
-
Theater. practicable.
adjective
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of, involving, or concerned with experience or actual use; not theoretical
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of or concerned with ordinary affairs, work, etc
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adapted or adaptable for use
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of, involving, or trained by practice
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being such for all useful or general purposes; virtual
noun
Usage
A distinction is usually made between practical and practicable. Practical refers to a person, idea, project, etc, as being more concerned with or relevant to practice than theory: he is a very practical person; the idea had no practical application. Practicable refers to a project or idea as being capable of being done or put into effect: the plan was expensive, yet practicable
Related Words
Practical, judicious, sensible refer to good judgment in action, conduct, and the handling of everyday matters. Practical suggests the ability to adopt means to an end or to turn what is at hand to account: to adopt practical measures for settling problems. Judicious implies the possession and use of discreet judgment, discrimination, and balance: a judicious use of one's time. Sensible implies the possession and use of sound reason and shrewd common sense: a sensible suggestion.
Other Word Forms
- nonpractical adjective
- nonpractically adverb
- nonpracticalness noun
- practicality noun
- practicalness noun
- prepractical adjective
- quasi-practical adjective
- quasi-practically adverb
- semipractical adjective
- ultrapractical adjective
Etymology
Origin of practical
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English. See practic, -al 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There is a final practical consideration that has grown more significant since Sunday.
Even so, the findings already offer practical value.
From Science Daily
Described as a "safe and warm space open to all", staff also offer housing advice, help with forms, and other practical support.
From BBC
Investors are eager for signs of advancement on the commercial front, which supports hopes that the technology will move beyond a research setting and find practical applications in the real world.
From Barron's
Guha said he’s not sure whether Congress would need to approve such a trade, though he said it would as a practical matter require consultation with House and Senate legislators.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
