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

impracticality

(ˌ)im-ˌprak-ti-ˈka-lə-tē 

noun

impractically

(ˌ)im-ˈprak-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms of impractical

• useless
• unsuitable
• unusable

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

First glimpsed in The Empire Strikes Back and heavily featured in Return of the Jedi are typical of the Empire; designed to instil fear, but laughably impractical. — Chris McMullen, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026

Without the proper port facilities, regulations, safety protocols, and other essentials, nuclear cargo ships are as impractical as steamships without coal or oil refueling stations. — New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026

The charter-flight controversy For years, WNBA teams primarily traveled commercially because charter flights were considered financially impractical under league economics. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Force majeure clauses excuse a party from performance when an unforeseeable external event like extreme weather or war makes performance impossible or impractical. — Ashlee Difuntorum, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for impractical

• syntactical
• unpractical
• practical
• tactical

Kids 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

impracticality

(ˌ)im-ˌprak-ti-ˈkal-ət-ē 

noun

impractically

(ˈ)im-ˈprak-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb