practice
Americannoun
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practices
plural
-
habitual or customary performance; operation.
office practice.
-
habit; custom.
It is not the practice here for men to wear long hair.
-
repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency.
Practice makes perfect.
- Synonyms:
- application
-
condition arrived at by experience or exercise.
She refused to play the piano, because she was out of practice.
-
the action or process of performing or doing something.
to put a scheme into practice;
the shameful practices of a blackmailer.
-
the exercise or pursuit of a profession or occupation, especially law or medicine.
She plans to set up practice in her hometown.
-
the business of a professional person.
The doctor wanted his daughter to take over his practice when he retired.
-
Law. the established method of conducting legal proceedings.
-
Archaic. plotting; intrigue; trickery.
-
Archaic. Usually practices. intrigues; plots.
verb (used with object)
-
practices,
present (3rd person singular)
-
practiced,
past participle, past
-
practicing
present participle
-
to perform or do habitually or usually.
to practice a strict regimen.
-
to follow or observe habitually or customarily.
to practice one's religion.
-
to exercise or pursue as a profession, art, or occupation.
to practice law.
-
to perform or do repeatedly in order to acquire skill or proficiency.
to practice the violin.
-
to train or drill (a person, animal, etc.) in something in order to give proficiency.
verb (used without object)
-
practices,
present (3rd person singular)
-
practiced,
past participle, past
-
practicing
present participle
-
to do something habitually or as a practice.
-
to pursue a profession, especially law or medicine.
-
to exercise oneself by repeated performance in order to acquire skill.
to practice at shooting.
-
Archaic. to plot or conspire.
noun
-
a usual or customary action or proceeding
it was his practice to rise at six
he made a practice of stealing stamps
-
repetition or exercise of an activity in order to achieve mastery and fluency
-
the condition of having mastery of a skill or activity through repetition (esp in the phrases in practice, out of practice )
-
the exercise of a profession
he set up practice as a lawyer
-
the act of doing something
he put his plans into practice
-
the established method of conducting proceedings in a court of law
verb
Usage
What’s the difference between practice and practise? In British English (and many other international varieties of English), the spelling practice is used when the word is a noun, while the spelling practise is used when it’s a verb. In American English, the spelling practice is always used, regardless of whether the word is used as a verb or a noun. This is somewhat similar to the difference in spelling between advice (noun) and advise (verb)—a distinction that’s used in both British and American English. However, unlike advice and advise, practice and practise are always pronounced the same. Here is an example of how practice and practise would be used in the same sentence in British English. Example: Remember, practice makes perfect—the more you practise, the better you will get. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between practice and practise.
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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mispracticenoun
-
nonpracticenoun
-
practicernoun
-
prepracticeverb
-
outpracticeverb (used with object)
-
overpracticeverb (used with object)
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repracticeverb (used with object)
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
practicesimple
-
practicessimple
-
have practicedperfect
-
has practicedperfect
-
am practicingprogressive
-
are practicingprogressive
-
is practicingprogressive
-
have been practicingperfect progressive
-
has been practicingperfect progressive
Past
-
practicedsimple
-
had practicedperfect
-
was practicingprogressive
-
were practicingprogressive
-
had been practicingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of practice
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English verb practisen, practizen, from Middle French pra(c)tiser, from Medieval Latin prāctizāre, alteration of prācticāre, derivative of prāctica “practical work,” from Greek prāktikḗ, noun use of feminine of prāktikós; noun derivative of the verb; see practic ( def. ), -ize ( def. )
Explanation
Practice can be a noun or a verb, but either way it's about how things are done on a regular basis. You can practice shotput every day because your town has a practice of supporting track-and-field events. One can practice the tuba for hours on end, repeating the same song over and over, serving to both get better at the tuba and to convince the neighbors they should move to Florida. You could learn the common practice of offering a guest a beverage when they arrive at your party, if you care to be polite. One can also practice a profession or a religion, as in “I practice Buddhism and I have a booming international law practice.”
Vocabulary lists containing practice
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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.
See Examples For:
She said it would consider whether improvements to "practice, processes or partnership working" were required.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Donald was grinning throughout his session with reporters while replaying the missed opportunity — and the new opportunity on the horizon with edge rusher Myles Garrett back at practice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
The American Civil Liberties Union applauded the move over a practice it said conlifted with "human dignity, fairness, and the values enshrined in our Constitution."
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
The women had just become the latest targets of san tay: the increasingly popular Vietnamese pastime of hunting foreigners for English practice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
I close my eyes and focus on what I want to get out of tonight’s practice.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Experts say much of the destruction is linked to slash-and-burn land-clearing practices, often associated with the expansion of timber, palm oil and mining operations.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
Lawmakers and regulators scrutinized the business practices of prescription-benefit managers like Caremark.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
The federal government had been powerless to stop the banking industry from digging itself into a nearly inextricable hole; FDR remade the Federal Reserve System into a forceful overseer of banking practices.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
The company also said that veterinary practices had, like many businesses across the UK "experienced increased operating costs over the past year, including rises in energy, wages, medicines and other essential supplies".
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
“Um, thanks for taking me today,” I say to Grace as she turns in to Field of Dreams, the sports complex where we have all our practices and games.
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
The five-time All-Pro practiced the week before the Sept. 11 opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia, but he did not make a tackle in the 27-7 defeat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
This is a contemporary novel through and through, and Schoenbrun writes with practiced conviction, subtly differentiating the different characters’ perspectives without dropping the pace.
From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026
“They’ve practiced when they didn’t want to practice. They’ve worked through the tears, the sweat, the hurt, the pain. That’s what made them special. They didn’t make it just because they’re tall.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
In a statement this week, Zacharia said, “I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Koffi practiced channeling the splendor with Badwa for the rest of the day, and the two days after.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
More than three centuries ago, 19 residents of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, mostly women, were tried and executed after being accused of practicing witchcraft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Sessions can include practicing chores such as folding laundry, brushing teeth and working on communication skills.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Zacharia, 41, is already under scrutiny over her legal credentials, after giving an inconclusive answer about where she had passed the bar exam, a prerequisite for practicing law in the United States.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
“I know what it’s like to be on the front lines,” said Pan, who spent a dozen years teaching and practicing pediatrics before being elected to the Assembly in 2010.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
Since when did practicing a hobby and breaking a world record become a bad thing?
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
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