impractical

[ im-prak-ti-kuhl ]

/ ɪmˈpræk tɪ kəl /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: impractical / impracticality on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not practical or useful.

not capable of dealing with practical matters; lacking sense.

idealistic.

impracticable.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of impractical

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

OTHER WORDS FROM impractical

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH impractical

impossible, impracticable, impractical , improbable

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use impractical in a sentence

Over a relatively short span, the cost of utility-scale solar—that is, centralized plants that supply the grid—has gone from impractical to one of the cheapest around.
Why the Price of New Solar Electricity Fell an Incredible 89% in the Last Decade|Jason Dorrier|December 13, 2020|Singularity Hub
In some cases, items on that list are still pretty impractical and unproven.
Surviving Mars missions will take planning and lots of innovation|Maria Temming|October 22, 2020|Science News For Students
However, many enterprise sites have millions of pages which makes crawling from your computer impractical due to time constraints or machine resources.
How to audit sites inside corporate networks|Hamlet Batista|September 28, 2020|Search Engine Land
During the meeting, a Hays County Health Department official expressed concern about Hayungs’ plan, deeming it impractical for the population the office serves.
The COVID-19 Charmer: How a Self-Described Felon Convinced Elected Officials to Try to Help Him Profit From the Pandemic|by Vianna Davila, Jeremy Schwartz and Lexi Churchill|September 25, 2020|ProPublica

Then it’s like an annual flu shot, and that’s expensive and impractical.
‘We’re racing against the clock’: The CEO of the Serum Institute of India on his company’s COVID-19 vaccine campaign|Erika Fry|September 21, 2020|Fortune
The play-to-the-base impulse is girded by a righteous certainty that can lead to at best impracticality and at worst absolutism.
A Tale of Two Bills: Clinton vs. De Blasio|John Avlon|January 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But despite their impracticality, renowned stores like Kirna and Barneys New York scooped up the $895 style.
Are Birkenstocks Cool Again? Céline, Giambattista Valli & More (PHOTOS)|Misty White Sidell|November 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Such a very impractical man was the inventor, and so very troublesome in his impracticality!
Wisconsin in Story and Song;|Various
My foolishness, I suppose, is typical of the scholar's abstraction and impracticality.
The Story of an Untold Love|Paul Leicester Ford

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 forms of impractical

impracticality 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

impractical

Origin of impractical

OTHER WORDS FROM impractical

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH impractical

Words related to impractical

How to use impractical in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for impractical

Derived forms of impractical