impractical
adjective
im·prac·ti·cal
(ˌ)im-ˈprak-ti-kəl 
: not practical: such as
a
: not wise to put into or keep in practice or effect
Small cars are impractical for large families.
b
: incapable of dealing sensibly or prudently with practical matters
a dreamy and impractical young man
c
: impracticable
an impractical plan
d
: not having a realistic or practical basis : idealistic
an impractical pipe dream
Examples of impractical in a Sentence
Little sports cars are impractical for large families.
He was a dreamy and impractical young man.
Recent Examples on the Web
But this season, the looks that made the highest impact eschewed function for jaw-dropping, delightfully impractical looks.
—
Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026
Testers found the concept impractical due to clothing sleeves and the difficulty of capturing usable camera angles from the wrist.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Manolo Blahniks may be out of my budget (and impractical for Paris’s winding cobblestone streets), but there are plenty of other stylish options that are just as chic—and much, much more affordable.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2026
Woanger Set of 4 Wicker Storage Baskets Pretty, functional storage solutions are the perfect antidote to impractical minimalism.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impractical
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Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026
Testers found the concept impractical due to clothing sleeves and the difficulty of capturing usable camera angles from the wrist.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Manolo Blahniks may be out of my budget (and impractical for Paris’s winding cobblestone streets), but there are plenty of other stylish options that are just as chic—and much, much more affordable.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2026
Woanger Set of 4 Wicker Storage Baskets Pretty, functional storage solutions are the perfect antidote to impractical minimalism.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impractical
Cite this Entry
“Impractical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impractical. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
impractical
adjective
im·prac·ti·cal
(ˈ)im-ˈprak-ti-kəl
: not practical: as
a
: not wise to put into or keep in practice or effect
an impractical rule disliked by many
b
: incapable of dealing sensibly with practical matters
c
: impracticable
the new gadgets were complicated and impractical
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