impractical

adjective

im·prac·ti·cal (ˌ)im-ˈprak-ti-kəl

Synonyms of impractical next

: not practical: such as

: not wise to put into or keep in practice or effect

: incapable of dealing sensibly or prudently with practical matters

: impracticable

: idealistic

impracticality

(ˌ)im-ˌprak-ti-ˈka-lə-tē

noun

impractically

(ˌ)im-ˈprak-ti-k(ə-)lē

adverb

Example Sentences

Little sports cars are impractical for large families. He was a dreamy and impractical young man.

Recent Examples on the Web Although American families may have two or even three strollers for various purposes, in plenty of places, including major cities, even one would be impractical, because the roads aren’t smooth enough. —

Annie Midori Atherton, The Atlantic, 24 Oct. 2022 Trying to program a computer to execute his ideas proved impractical. —

Steve Lohr, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2023 If a turnaround doesn’t come, installing a new coach during a lost season without any practice time seems impractical at best, ineffective at worst. —

Matthew Defranks, Dallas News, 12 Mar. 2021 Electric cars have seemed impractical, but hybrid engines, by giving drivers a taste of the technology, have speeded their adoption. —

Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2021 This again is impractical in emergency contexts where mobility might be limited. —

Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, 14 Feb. 2023 The resort happens to have just the right conditions—high-alpine terrain that’s exposed to the wind and impractical for snowmaking, plus lots of natural snow—to make snow farming its method of choice. —

Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Jan. 2023 This places an unnecessary burden on users of Matrix clients, limits the user base to those with an understanding of the cryptography used in Matrix and how it is applied, and is impractical for daily use. —

WIRED, 30 Sep. 2022 Electric cars remain impractical for most Americans. —

The Editorial Board, WSJ, 22 Oct. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'impractical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.