practice

1 of 2

verb

prac·​tice ˈprak-təs 

variants or less commonly practise

practiced also practised; practicing also practising

transitive verb

1

a

: carry out, apply

practice what you preach

b

: to do or perform often, customarily, or habitually

practice politeness

c

: to be professionally engaged in

practice medicine

2

a

: to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient

practice the act

b

: to train by repeated exercises

practice pupils in penmanship

3

obsolete : plot

intransitive verb

1

: to do repeated exercises for proficiency

2

: to pursue a profession actively

3

archaic : intrigue

4

: to do something customarily

5

: to take advantage of someone

he practised on their credulity with huge success

—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

practicer noun

practice

2 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly practise

1

a

: actual performance or application

ready to carry out in practice what they advocated in principle

b

: a repeated or customary action

had this irritating practice

c

: the usual way of doing something

local practices

d

: the form, manner, and order of conducting legal suits and prosecutions

2

a

: systematic exercise for proficiency

practice makes perfect

b

: the condition of being proficient through systematic exercise

get in practice

3

a

: the continuous exercise of a profession

b

: a professional business

especially : one constituting an incorporeal property

Synonyms

Verb

• exercise

Noun

• rehearsal
• trial

Choose the Right Synonym for practice

habit, practice, usage, custom, wont mean a way of acting fixed through repetition.

habit implies a doing unconsciously and often compulsively.

had a habit of tapping his fingers

practice suggests an act or method followed with regularity and usually through choice.

our practice is to honor all major credit cards

usage suggests a customary action so generally followed that it has become a social norm.

western-style dress is now common usage in international business

custom applies to a practice or usage so steadily associated with an individual or group as to have almost the force of unwritten law.

the custom of wearing black at funerals

wont usually applies to a habitual manner, method, or practice of an individual or group.

as was her wont, she slept until noon

Examples of practice in a Sentence

Verb

To be a good musician, you have to practice a lot.

Have you been practicing your lines for the play?

She had to practice flying in various weather conditions before she could get her pilot's license.

Grandmother taught us to practice good manners.

Practice what you preach—don't smoke if you tell your children not to smoke.

Noun

Being a good musician takes a lot of practice.

I'm sure you'll learn your lines for the play with enough practice.

They'll get better with practice.

I'm late for trumpet practice.

The marching band has practice every Wednesday afternoon.

The team's practices usually last two hours.

She has made a practice of volunteering at a homeless shelter one weekend a month.

The country's poor sanitation practices have led to widespread disease.

Burial practices vary around the world.

It is common practice among my friends to not use capital letters in e-mail.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Another study showed that learning how to juggle — and practicing for 30 minutes per day — for six weeks could increase white matter in part of the brain involved with motor functioning, including in the periphery of vision. —Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 11 July 2025

Make a stand for your organization’s values and ethics, and commit to practicing them in your leadership. —Kent Ingle, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025

Noun

Good conservation practice demands a harmonious union of science and artistry. —Sonya Rehman, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025

Although the law doesn’t mandate removal, legal experts say the practice has increasingly undermined state-level cases. —Raphael Romero Ruiz, AZCentral.com, 12 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English practisen, from Middle French practiser, from Medieval Latin practizare, alteration of practicare, from practica practice, noun, from Late Latin practice, from Greek praktikē, from feminine of praktikos

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing practice

• bad practice
• family practice
• general practice
• good practice
• group practice
• in practice
• out of practice
• practice deception on
• practice law
• practice makes perfect
• practice-teach
• practice teaching
• practice what one preaches
• private practice
• put (something) into practice
• sharp practice
• stay/keep in practice

Rhymes for practice

• actus
• cactus
• practise
• tractus
• malpractice

Kids Definition

practice

1 of 2 verb

prac·​tice

variants also practise

ˈprak-təs 

practiced or practised; practicing or practising

1

: to perform or work at over and over so as to become skilled

practice juggling

2

: carry out, apply

practice what you preach

3

: to do or perform often or usually

practice politeness

4

: to engage in or work at as a profession

practice medicine

practicer noun

practice

2 of 2 noun

variants also practise

1

a

: actual performance or application

b

: a repeated or usual action

it was our practice to rise early

c

: the usual way of doing something

local practice

2

a

: action done over and over in order to acquire skill

practice makes perfect

b

: the condition of being skilled through practice

get in practice

3

a

: continuous work in a profession

the practice of law

b

: a professional business

the doctor has expanded her practice

Medical Definition

practice

1 of 2 verb

prac·​tice

variants or practise

ˈprak-təs 

practiced or practised; practicing or practising

transitive verb

: to be professionally engaged in

practice medicine

intransitive verb

: to pursue a profession actively

practice

2 of 2 noun

variants also practise

1

: the continuous exercise of a profession

2

: a professional business

especially : one constituting an incorporeal property

the doctor sold his practice and retired

Legal Definition

practice

noun

prac·​tice

1

: the form and manner of conducting judicial and quasi-judicial proceedings

2

a

: the continuous exercise of a profession

also : the performance of services that are considered to require an appropriate license

engaged in the unauthorized practice of law

b

: a professional business