practice
habitual or customary performance; operation: office practice.
habit; custom: It is not the practice here for men to wear long hair.
repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency: Practice makes perfect.
condition arrived at by experience or exercise: She refused to play the piano, because she was out of practice.
the action or process of performing or doing something: to put a scheme into practice;the shameful practices of a blackmailer.
the exercise or pursuit of a profession or occupation, especially law or medicine: She plans to set up practice in her hometown.
the business of a professional person: The doctor wanted his daughter to take over his practice when he retired.
Law. the established method of conducting legal proceedings.
Archaic. plotting; intrigue; trickery.
Usually practices. Archaic. intrigues; plots.
to perform or do habitually or usually: to practice a strict regimen.
to follow or observe habitually or customarily: to practice one's religion.
to exercise or pursue as a profession, art, or occupation: to practice law.
to perform or do repeatedly in order to acquire skill or proficiency: to practice the violin.
to train or drill (a person, animal, etc.) in something in order to give proficiency.
to do something habitually or as a practice.
to pursue a profession, especially law or medicine.
to exercise oneself by repeated performance in order to acquire skill: to practice at shooting.
Archaic. to plot or conspire.
Origin of practice
1- Also British, prac·tise (for defs. 11-19) .
synonym study For practice
Other words for practice
Other words from practice
- prac·tic·er, noun
- mis·prac·tice, noun, verb, mis·prac·ticed, mis·prac·tic·ing.
- non·prac·tice, noun
- outpractice, verb (used with object), out·prac·ticed, out·prac·tic·ing.
- o·ver·prac·tice, verb (used with object), o·ver·prac·ticed, o·ver·prac·tic·ing.
- pre·prac·tice, verb, pre·prac·ticed, pre·prac·tic·ing.
- re·prac·tice, verb (used with object), re·prac·ticed, re·prac·tic·ing.
Words Nearby practice
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use practice in a sentence
On the other hand, if global emissions drop, deforestation decreases, and better fire management practices are applied locally, fires may not increase as much.
What wildfires in Brazil, Siberia, and the US West have in common | Lili Pike | September 17, 2020 | VoxThe only thing we receive are updates related to the Patrick Henry cheer program along with practice information that are signed by Patrick Henry Head Cheer Coach Jill Clark.
School Sports Became ‘Clubs’ Amid the Pandemic – Now Two Coaches Are Out | Ashly McGlone | September 17, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoAs confusing as the TikTok tie-up with Oracle may seem, there are precedents to the practice of having a “trusted” local partner manage parts of your business—look no further than China.
Want to understand the Oracle-TikTok deal? Just look at Apple in China | Jane Li | September 17, 2020 | QuartzThe organization also did not respond when asked if it had investigated or planned to investigate potential racial disparities in discharge practices.
The Hospital System Sent Patients With Coronavirus Home to Die. Louisiana Legislators Are Demanding an Investigation. | by Annie Waldman and Joshua Kaplan | September 14, 2020 | ProPublicaHardly any states followed the practices that had worked well elsewhere.
America Is About to Lose Its 200,000th Life to Coronavirus. How Many More Have to Die? | by Stephen Engelberg | September 14, 2020 | ProPublica
As a means of preventing tooth decay in those cities that do fluoridate, the practice certainly looks like a success.
Back in New York, the slow pace and inward focus of her yoga practice was less fulfilling.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze | Lizzie Crocker | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe men use the dolls to practice the basics of caring for babies.
How Good Dads Can Change the World | Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTBut in 1969, a longstanding practice was challenged—its ban on women.
DeCrow would come to lead a movement against this practice, suing the Hotel Syracuse in 1969 and calling for protests and sit-ins.
Many so-called "humming tones" are given for practice, but in accepting them observe whether the foregoing principle is obeyed.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge SouthwickSelections for practice should be chosen which contain much variety of thought and feeling and are smooth in movement.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge SouthwickIn connection with this step the practice of melodies is useful, if one has musical taste.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge SouthwickIn practice we find a good deal of technical study comes into the college stage.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation | H. G. (Herbert George) WellsIt is clear, therefore, that the reserve reduction contemplated by the act will not be realized in practice.
Readings in Money and Banking | Chester Arthur Phillips
British Dictionary definitions for practice
/ (ˈpræktɪs) /
a usual or customary action or proceeding: it was his practice to rise at six; he made a practice of stealing stamps
repetition or exercise of an activity in order to achieve mastery and fluency
the condition of having mastery of a skill or activity through repetition (esp in the phrases in practice, out of practice)
the exercise of a profession: he set up practice as a lawyer
the act of doing something: he put his plans into practice
the established method of conducting proceedings in a court of law
the US spelling of practise
Origin of practice
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with practice
In addition to the idioms beginning with practice
- practice makes perfect
- practice what you preach
also see:
- in practice
- make a practice of
- out of practice
- put into practice
- sharp practice
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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