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Synonyms

practically

American  
[prak-tik-lee] / ˈpræk tɪk li /

adverb

  1. in effect; virtually.

    It is practically useless to protest.

  2. in a practical manner.

    to think practically.

  3. from a practical point of view.

    Practically speaking, the plan is not very promising.

  4. almost; nearly.

    Their provisions were practically gone.
practically British  
/ -klɪ, ˈpræktɪkəlɪ /

adverb

  1. virtually; almost

    it has rained practically every day

  2. in actuality rather than in theory

    what can we do practically to help?
"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

Usage

A few usage guides object to the use of practically in the senses “in effect, virtually” and “almost, nearly.” Both uses, however, are well established and standard in all varieties of speech and writing.

Etymology

Origin of practically

First recorded in 1615–25; practical + -ly

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.

This lends itself to scalable machines that are large enough to use practically.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

No. This man practically saved Southern California from itself, and we didn’t even name a freeway off-ramp in his honor.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

"The Gulf is just in that place where, with the current technology, you can get to practically anywhere on Earth," he says.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The Venezuelans practically turned the art of the bat flip into a javelin toss.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

I nodded, remembering how he’d practically trembled in my mom’s presence as he showed off his new Butterfly detector.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.