prac·ti·cal
ˈprak-ti-kəl 
1
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
: an examination requiring demonstration of some practical skill
a zoology practical
Synonyms
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
We have our zoology practicals next week.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 21 Apr. 2024
Staff writer Josh Rottenberg has an exclusive on the movie’s amazing practical stunts, which are quite possibly the best argument to add an Oscar category for stunt performers.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Parents, educators, and our youth need practical guardrails to help protect kids from harm.
—Nancy Magee, Orange County Register, 20 Apr. 2024
Earth signs are known for being practical, grounded and calm.
—Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024
But under certain circumstances, sometimes numbers do have a maximum because people design them that way for a practical purpose.
—Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2024
Those include provisions to seize Russian assets, to distribute them to Ukraine and to force TikTok's Chinese parent company to sell it or face a practical ban in the United States.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024
Nevertheless, some parliament members were concerned about the practical implications of such a ban.
—Anna Gordon, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
Matt Frewer and Kristine Sutherland provide great supporting performances, but the biggest stars are the memorable practical effects, most of which have held up remarkably well.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
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
Adjective
On a practical level, Transcendental Meditation, which is taught by Maharishi, your metabolism slows down to a level of rest twice as deep as sleep.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 21 Apr. 2024
Staff writer Josh Rottenberg has an exclusive on the movie’s amazing practical stunts, which are quite possibly the best argument to add an Oscar category for stunt performers.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Parents, educators, and our youth need practical guardrails to help protect kids from harm.
—Nancy Magee, Orange County Register, 20 Apr. 2024
Earth signs are known for being practical, grounded and calm.
—Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024
But under certain circumstances, sometimes numbers do have a maximum because people design them that way for a practical purpose.
—Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2024
Those include provisions to seize Russian assets, to distribute them to Ukraine and to force TikTok's Chinese parent company to sell it or face a practical ban in the United States.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024
Nevertheless, some parliament members were concerned about the practical implications of such a ban.
—Anna Gordon, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
Matt Frewer and Kristine Sutherland provide great supporting performances, but the biggest stars are the memorable practical effects, most of which have held up remarkably well.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'practical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near practical
Cite this Entry
“Practical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/practical. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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