practically

American  

[prak-tik-lee] / ˈpræk tɪk li /

adverb

1. in effect; virtually.

   It is practically useless to protest.

2. in a practical manner.

   to think practically.

3. from a practical point of view.

   Practically speaking, the plan is not very promising.

4. almost; nearly.

   Their provisions were practically gone.

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practically British  

/ -klɪ, ˈpræktɪkəlɪ /

adverb

1. virtually; almost

   it has rained practically every day

2. in actuality rather than in theory

   what can we do practically to help?

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Usage

A few usage guides object to the use of practically in the senses “in effect, virtually” and “almost, nearly.” Both uses, however, are well established and standard in all varieties of speech and writing.

Etymology

Origin of practically

First recorded in 1615–25; practical + -ly

Example Sentences

This lends itself to scalable machines that are large enough to use practically.

From Barron's

The two most prominent sheets, however, were so fresh that the Sharpie ink was practically bleeding.

From Literature

We’ve stopped at the wagon practically every week since we started swimming together, but today Zara had to rush home to help her mom.

From Literature

Clare realized he was panting, his tongue practically lolling out of his mouth.

From Literature

"I arrived at a time when I practically had no time to work with the players, to understand where they felt comfortable, and to see how they mixed with each other."

From BBC

Related Words

• approximately
• basically
• essentially
• morally
• nearly
• virtually