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.
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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.
Still, if you opt for a bunch of low-cost or practical things to fill out an Easter basket, it doesn’t hurt to throw in a splurge item or two.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026
They eased mechanical strain, making it practical to run banks of elevators continuously, packing in larger workforces and turning vertical circulation into a scalable system rather than a bottleneck.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
This work marks an important step forward by turning MXene superconductivity into a more practical and usable property.
From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026
As well as caring for Sophia, Darren has become an advocate for families affected by childhood dementia, working with Alzheimer Scotland and speaking at the Scottish Parliament to push for better awareness and practical support.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
“We have a few preliminary questions before the practical demonstration. Your name, miss?”
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
