practicality

American  

[prak-ti-kal-i-tee] / ˌpræk tɪˈkæl ɪ ti /

Rarely practicalness

noun

practicalities plural

1. the quality of being adapted or designed for actual use; usefulness or convenience.

   Your home furniture choices should be based on practicality, durability, and beauty.

2. interest in or inclination toward actual work or activity as opposed to theories or ideas.

   My mother was an entrepreneur whose tremendous vision, teamed with her practicality, “moved mountains.”

3. a detail or consideration involved in putting something into action.

   She talked with culinary students about their dreams as well as the practicalities of launching a food business.

4. the constraints or demands of real life or actual implementation.

   Economy and practicality dictate that we can't save every green space from development.

5. the quality or fact of relating to actual activity, especially ordinary or everyday activity.

   I appreciate the real-world practicality of the question, “What does it mean to be a father?”

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonpracticality
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• practicalities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of practicality

practical ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Explanation

Something that demonstrates practicality makes good sense. If you choose your new shoes based on their practicality, you'll probably buy a pair of sneakers, rather than knee-high boots with five inch heels. A person's practicality can also be called common sense, and an object or action's practicality has to do with how efficient or suitable it is. The practicality of doctors carefully washing their hands before surgery is clear, while the practicality of dressing your dog in a ballerina costume is less so. The root of practicality is practical, which in turn comes from the Old French word practique, "fit for action."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

practicality practicalities

"This is borne of passion rather than practicality I guess," she said.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

There’s an inherent practicality to a good biscuit.

From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026

Indiana’s lack of glamour is a point of pride, rooted in Midwestern practicality and endless flat fields of corn.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026

These filaments tend to behave unpredictably and often require high voltages, which limits their practicality for large-scale computing.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 23, 2026

But in spite of his immense practicality, he could picture her in his life.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Wilde in particular lights up during this section, Angela’s mind racing at possibilities she never considered for herself while fumbling over the practicalities of protocols and just how this would work.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

As SpaceX prepares to go public, investors are pondering the practicalities of Elon Musk’s multiplanetary vision.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

Bell said the decision to create an alternative entrance was driven more by practicalities than theatricalities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026

On top of the practicalities, there is also a clear eye on the morale of passengers.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2025

There was a little pause as Lazlo considered the practicalities of life in the citadel.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

• common-sense