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practical effect

American  
[prak-ti-kuhl i-fekt] / ˈpræk tɪ kəl ɪˈfɛkt /

noun

Movies, Television.
  1. Usually practical effects a special effect that is created live on the set of a film, using real-world objects.


Etymology

Origin of practical effect

First recorded in 1980–85

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.

Benfica said they would appeal the decision, but accepted it was unlikely to "have any practical effect" before Wednesday's return at the Bernabeu.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

Experts who spoke with The Times warned the practical effect of the edict — if it becomes official — could be far more costly vaccines for affected groups.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2025

But those areas are not contiguous, and the practical effect is that secondhand smoke is present in varying degrees throughout the casino floor.

From Seattle Times • May 13, 2024

Even if the plaintiffs eventually succeed, the practical effect of the religious exemption is yet to be determined.

From Slate • Apr. 8, 2024

His proposal was so much the more readily accepted that it was suited to carry into practical effect, to a more than ordinary degree, the motto of the Order—Pauperes evangelizantur.

From The Canadian Portrait Gallery - Volumes 1 to 4 by Dent, John Charles