impractical

[ im-prak-ti-kuh l ]

/ ɪmˈpræk tɪ kəl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR impractical ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

not practical or useful.

not capable of dealing with practical matters; lacking sense.

idealistic.

impracticable.

Nearby words

Origin of impractical

First recorded in 1860–65; im-² + practical

Related formsim·prac·ti·cal·i·ty, im·prac·ti·cal·ness, noun

Can be confusedimpossible impracticable impractical improbable

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for impractical

But one gets the sense that this is impractical in the era of Twitter and 24-7 news coverage.
Untruth and Consequences in Ferguson|Matt Lewis|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Though Rabinowitz muses that something like this would not only be impractical but also incite severe backlash.
Porn Fights For Your Right to Surf: Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube Lead Charge For Net Neutrality|Aurora Snow|September 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Du Bois repeatedly defended liberal education against those who saw it as impractical.
College Must Be More Than Just a Classy Trade School|Michael S. Roth|August 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Podesta warned that opposition to natural gas is impractical and not grounded in reality.
‘Downton Abbey’ Democrats May Cost their Party the Senate|Lloyd Green|March 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Harold Berman calls it “shallow, impractical, and offensive.”
For a Jewish Connection Without Converting, Cultural Affirmation is a Plan Worth Considering|Mira Sucharov|December 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He may be something of an impractical dreamer, but he will be kind and true.
Literature for Children|Orton Lowe
If I started considering the impractical side of it I'd recognize it in its true light, which was unmitigated madness.
The Animated Pinup|Lewis Parker
On the contrary, I still regarded Socialism as impractical; I still believed it to be absurd.
Twentieth Century Socialism|Edmond Kelly
The bureau reasoned that since segregation was impractical, exclusion was necessary.
Integration of the Armed Forces, 1940-1965|Morris J. MacGregor, Jr.
They consider all these "isms" as equally vile, impractical, and obnoxious.
Twentieth Century Socialism|Edmond Kelly

British Dictionary definitions for impractical

impractical

/ (ɪmˈpræktɪkəl) /

adjective

not practical or workablean impractical solution

not given to practical matters or gifted with practical skillshe is intelligent but too impractical for commercial work

Derived Formsimpracticality or impracticalness, nounimpractically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for impractical

impractical

adj.

1823, from assimilated form of in- (1) "not, opposite of" + practical. Impracticable in the same sense dates from 1670s.

impractical

adjective

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Nearby words

Origin of impractical

Examples from the Web for impractical

impractical

adjective

impractical