practical
1 of 2adjective
prac·ti·cal ˈprak-ti-kəl 
1
a
: of, relating to, or manifested in practice or action : not theoretical or ideal
a practical question
for all practical purposes
b
: being such in practice or effect : virtual
a practical failure
2
: actively engaged in some course of action or occupation
a practical farmer
3
: capable of being put to use or account : useful
he had a practical knowledge of French
4
a
: disposed to action as opposed to speculation or abstraction
b(1)
: qualified by practice or practical training
a good practical mechanic
(2)
: designed to supplement theoretical training by experience
5
: concerned with voluntary action and ethical decisions
practical reason
practicality
ˌprak-ti-ˈka-lə-tē
noun practicalness
ˈprak-ti-kəl-nəs
noun practical
2 of 2noun
: an examination requiring demonstration of some practical skill
a zoology practical
Synonyms
Adjective
- actionable
- applicable
- applicative
- applied
- functional
- practicable
- serviceable
- ultrapractical
- usable
- useable
- useful
- workable
- working
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective We can speculate about the future, but on a more practical level, we have to admit that we simply don't know what will happen. An engineer will address the design's practical problems. She has a lot of practical experience in dealing with these kinds of problems. practical solutions to complicated problems He thinks wind can be a practical source of renewable energy. The machine is too big to be practical for most private homes. The shoes are nice, but they're not very practical. The book is a practical guide to car care. He gave me some practical advice on finding a job. Noun We have our zoology practicals next week. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Alesandra Dubin, Woman's Day, 18 Sep. 2022 Another practical way for individuals to take control of their carbon footprint is reducing food waste. Susan Puckett, CNN, 14 Sep. 2022 As a result of the confusion, many groups seeking funds had no practical way to apply for money. Lucas Daprile, cleveland, 11 Sep. 2022 In this one-hour program, learn plant actions and energetics, as well as practical applications and preparations of various plants that prevent and relieve anxiety. Hartford Courant, 9 Sep. 2022 The practical special effects in The Thing, crafted by FX maestro Rob Bottin and crew, were grotesque and groundbreaking at the time and still manage to be pretty darned disturbing even 40 years on. Will Harris, EW.com, 6 Sep. 2022 Government funding aligned with industry and philanthropy to support basic research that often had substantial practical applications. Michael S. Roth, WSJ, 24 Aug. 2022 Cohesive and functional, these plastic bins are a practical way to bring organization into your garage. Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Aug. 2022 But many school teachers aren’t aware of the practical applications of AI themselves. Sameer Maskey, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 Susan Page, USA TODAY, 22 Aug. 2021 All three of these agencies have worked to give students the flexibility to work online and, as Friday, NACCAS, in coordination with the Department of Education, announced the lifting of the restriction to teach practicals hands-on. Christopher Roth, azcentral, 23 Mar. 2020 See More
Adjective
This three-shelf plastic rolling cart has tons of practical applications in the kitchen, craft room, and more. Alesandra Dubin, Woman's Day, 18 Sep. 2022 Another practical way for individuals to take control of their carbon footprint is reducing food waste. Susan Puckett, CNN, 14 Sep. 2022 As a result of the confusion, many groups seeking funds had no practical way to apply for money. Lucas Daprile, cleveland, 11 Sep. 2022 In this one-hour program, learn plant actions and energetics, as well as practical applications and preparations of various plants that prevent and relieve anxiety. Hartford Courant, 9 Sep. 2022 The practical special effects in The Thing, crafted by FX maestro Rob Bottin and crew, were grotesque and groundbreaking at the time and still manage to be pretty darned disturbing even 40 years on. Will Harris, EW.com, 6 Sep. 2022 Government funding aligned with industry and philanthropy to support basic research that often had substantial practical applications. Michael S. Roth, WSJ, 24 Aug. 2022 Cohesive and functional, these plastic bins are a practical way to bring organization into your garage. Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Aug. 2022 But many school teachers aren’t aware of the practical applications of AI themselves. Sameer Maskey, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 Noun
For most, the practical trumped the philosophical on a question of public health. Susan Page, USA TODAY, 22 Aug. 2021 All three of these agencies have worked to give students the flexibility to work online and, as Friday, NACCAS, in coordination with the Department of Education, announced the lifting of the restriction to teach practicals hands-on. Christopher Roth, azcentral, 23 Mar. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English, from Late Latin practicus, from Greek praktikos, from prassein to pass over, fare, do; akin to Greek peran to pass through — more at fare
First Known Use
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
1925, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing practical
Kids Definition
practical
adjective
prac·ti·cal ˈprak-ti-kəl
1
: of or relating to real action rather than ideas or thought
practical matters
2
: capable of being put to use : reasonable to do or use
practical advice
Those shoes are nice, but these are more practical.
3
: tending to act according to reason and logic
Beezus, always practical, changed her mind. "It wouldn't work." Beverly Cleary, Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Beverly Cleary, Ramona Quimby, Age 8a practical person
practical
adjective
1
as in useful
capable of being put to use or account a practical and simple solution for the town's waste disposal she has some practical information on sightseeing in San Francisco Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- useful
- applicative
- applicable
- applied
- pragmatic
- practicable
- functional
- pragmatical
- workable
- actionable
- usable
- useable
- serviceable
- working
- utilitarian
- ultrapractical
- available
- mundane
- handy
- down-to-earth
- accessible
- obtainable
- operating
- reachable
- functioning
- operative
- all-round
- employed
- active
- banausic
- busy
- all-around
- alive
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- theoretical
- impractical
- useless
- theoretic
- impracticable
- academic
- unworkable
- abstract
- inapplicable
- unusable
- academical
- nonpractical
- inaccessible
- unavailable
- unattainable
- unobtainable
- unsuitable
- unreachable
- armchair
2
as in pragmatic
willing to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly a practical caseworker who doesn't spend a lot of time philosophizing while doing social work in the inner city Synonyms & Similar Words
- pragmatic
- realistic
- pragmatical
- sensible
- logical
- rational
- reasonable
- earthy
- down-to-earth
- hardheaded
- cynical
- utilitarian
- matter-of-fact
- sound
- grounded
- commonsensical
- sane
- sober
- unromantic
- hard
- levelheaded
- skeptical
- unsentimental
- no-nonsense
- sobersided
- idealless
- philistine
- disillusioned
- pessimistic
- suspicious
- hard-edged
- tough-minded
- bottom-line
- misanthropic
- distrustful
- mistrustful
- hard-boiled
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- impractical
- idealistic
- unrealistic
- imaginative
- utopian
- fanciful
- visionary
- romantic
- fantastical
- sentimental
- theoretical
- fantastic
- optimistic
- cheerful
- blue-sky
- theoretic
- unreasonable
- irrational
- illogical
- trustful
- insane
- trusting
- unsuspicious
- rose-colored
- half-baked