Meaning & use
practical
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Connected with doing or using something rather than with ideas and theory.
Grammar: Often contrasts with 'theoretical' or 'academic'.
Patterns
- practical experience
- practical skills
- for practical purposes
The course gives students practical experience in a real workplace.
We need a practical solution, not just a clever theory.
For practical purposes, the two methods are the same.
adjectivecomparable
Sensible and likely to work well in real situations.
Grammar: Describes people or plans; a practical person makes good decisions.
Patterns
- a practical person
- a practical approach
She is very practical and always finds a way to fix things.
It was a practical decision to take the earlier train.
adjectivecomparable
Useful or suitable for a particular purpose; easy to use.
Grammar: Often describes clothes, tools, or designs.
Patterns
- practical clothing
- a practical design
These shoes are practical for walking in the rain.
The kitchen is small but very practical.
adjectivenot comparable
Involving only small changes or actions; almost complete.
Grammar: Used before a noun, especially in phrases like 'a practical certainty'.
Patterns
- a practical certainty
- a practical impossibility
It is a practical certainty that the event will be postponed.
Getting there by noon is a practical impossibility.
Word forms
| comparative | more practical |
|---|---|
| superlative | most practical |
Common combinations
- practical experience
- Employers value practical experience as much as a degree.
- practical solution
- We need a practical solution that fits our budget.
- practical advice
- The book offers practical advice on saving money.
- practical use
- This tool has no practical use for most people.
- practical joke
- He played a practical joke on his brother.
Synonyms and how they differ
- realistic
- Focuses on accepting things as they are; a realistic plan is possible, while a practical plan is also sensible and workable.
- useful
- Means helpful for a purpose; practical often adds the idea of being suited to real situations.
- sensible
- Describes good judgment; practical emphasizes doing what works in practice.
- functional
- Stresses working properly rather than being attractive; practical can also mean sensible or realistic.
Opposites
Word family
- practically adverb
- Almost, or in a practical way.
- practicality noun
- The quality of being sensible or useful.
- practice noun
- The doing of something rather than the idea of it.
- practicable adjective
- Able to be done successfully.
Commonly confused: practical or practicable? practical or pragmatic?
practical vs practicable
'Practicable' means possible to do; 'practical' means sensible or useful in real life.
practical vs pragmatic
'Pragmatic' focuses on results and what works; 'practical' is broader and can also mean useful or almost complete.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'practical' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Practical' means sensible and likely to work. Option 2 reverses the meaning, option 3 means impossible, and option 4 describes beauty, not usefulness.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “practical”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.