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
Open shelving everywhere, while beautiful, was impractical.
—
Cori Sears, The Spruce, 14 June 2026
Putting satellites packed with computing equipment in space could become less impractical with the adoption of chips that feature superconducting logic, rather than traditional semiconductors, said Peter Barrett, a general partner at venture firm Playground Global.
—Ashley Capoot,cj Haddad,samantha Subin,lora Kolodny, CNBC, 12 June 2026
These materials look wonderful in academic journals but are completely impractical for global industrial scaling.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 June 2026
There are better ways to eliminate smoking than impose an impractical mandate that creates a permanent class of disenfranchised adults.
—Alex Weatherall, Boston Herald, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for impractical
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Cori Sears, The Spruce, 14 June 2026
Putting satellites packed with computing equipment in space could become less impractical with the adoption of chips that feature superconducting logic, rather than traditional semiconductors, said Peter Barrett, a general partner at venture firm Playground Global.
—Ashley Capoot,cj Haddad,samantha Subin,lora Kolodny, CNBC, 12 June 2026
These materials look wonderful in academic journals but are completely impractical for global industrial scaling.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 June 2026
There are better ways to eliminate smoking than impose an impractical mandate that creates a permanent class of disenfranchised adults.
—Alex Weatherall, Boston Herald, 10 June 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 16 Jun. 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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