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

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Etymology

Origin of practicality

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

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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

It added: "The Act is designed to help reduce the cost of school uniforms and ensure that affordability, comfort, practicality and sustainability are at the centre of school uniform policies."

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

For Donna Noser, 66, it boiled down to practicality.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

However, liquid systems often require toxic solvents and may evaporate over time, limiting their practicality.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026

In a country that esteemed practicality, fiction was enlisted to speak directly to a cause.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

He agreed that the US program should be ramped up to recover the American lead in nuclear weaponry, but he thought his visitors’ fancies had far outrun the practicality of the Super.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

But the powers of the new authorities, the practicalities of change and the simple geography of some council areas are still likely to provoke a huge discussion.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

The schools' names have been kept private, but it is understood that there were concerns from the Sussexes' security team about the "practicalities" of taking the children there.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

Historically, these intermediate layers were also about the practicalities of transportation and the difficulty of getting election results to Washington.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

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

"It may come down to practicalities," said Maester Luwin.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

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Related Words

• common-sense

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