impractical

adjective

im·​prac·​ti·​cal (ˌ)im-ˈprak-ti-kəl How to pronounce impractical (audio)
Synonyms of impracticalnext
: 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 noun
impractically adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
California is forcing Tahoe Truckee Unified to compete in CA instead of Nevada, despite this being impractical and unsafe for athletes whose seasons will move from Spring to Winter in a snowy area. Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 19 Dec. 2025 Designing and integrating a custom machine for a single task can take a year and cost more than a million dollars, making large-scale automation of every task impractical, Humanoids Daily reports. Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025 Ruit thought about how impractical thick glasses would be to the people who hiked the Nepali mountains daily, and how lengthy surgeries limited the number of patients that could be treated. Pasquale Hinrichs, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025 Recruiters typically manage dozens of open positions simultaneously, making personalized responses to every candidate impractical. The Hill, 12 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for impractical

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impractical was in 1865

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Impractical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impractical. Accessed 25 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

impractical

adjective
im·​prac·​ti·​cal (ˈ)im-ˈprak-ti-kəl How to pronounce impractical (audio)
: 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 noun
impractically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on impractical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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