practical

1 of 3

adjective

prac·​ti·​cal ˈprak-ti-kəl 

1

a

: of, relating to, or manifested in practice or action : not theoretical or ideal

a practical matter/question

has practical experience

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

suggested some practical ways to save money

4

a

: disposed to action as opposed to speculation or abstraction

a practical person who finds solutions to problems

b(1)

: qualified by practice or practical training

a good practical mechanic

(2)

: designed to supplement theoretical training by experience

did practical work in the field

5

: concerned with voluntary action and ethical decisions

practical reason

practicality

ˌprak-ti-ˈka-lə-tē 

noun

practicalness

ˈprak-ti-kəl-nəs 

noun

see also:

for all practical purposes

practical

2 of 3

noun (1)

: an examination requiring demonstration of some practical skill

a zoology practical

practicality

3 of 3

noun (2)

prac·​ti·​cal·​i·​ty ˌpraktəˈkalətē 

-lətē, 

-i

plural -es

1

: the quality or state of being practical

2

: a practical matter or an instance of being practical

Synonyms of practical

Adjective

• useful
• applicable
• applicative
• applied
• pragmatic

Examples of practical in a Sentence

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 (1)

We have our zoology practicals next week.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Researchers believe improving catalyst performance could help make the technology more practical for real-world applications, including portable electronics, wearable devices, and large-scale energy storage systems. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026

Emerging practical applications must be prioritized. —Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026

Noun

As opposed to the beginning of the film, where the night is mainly lit with practicals, here the moonlight quickly becomes the only source that motivates the lighting. —Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 24 Feb. 2025

For most, the practical trumped the philosophical on a question of public health. —Susan Page, USA TODAY, 22 Aug. 2021

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 (1)

1925, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing practical

• for all practical purposes
• licensed practical nurse
• practical art
• practical joke
• practical nurse
• practical theology

Rhymes for practical

• tactical
• impractical
• syntactical
• unpractical

Kids Definition

practical

adjective

prac·​ti·​cal

ˈprak-ti-kəl

1

: of or relating to action and practice rather than ideas or thought

for practical purposes

2

: being such in practice or effect : virtual

a practical failure

3

: capable of being put to use or account : useful

a practical knowledge of farming

4

: good at putting ideas or plans into action

a practical mind

practicality

ˌprak-ti-ˈkal-ət-ē

noun