1
as in useful
capable of being put to use or account
a practical and simple solution for the town's waste disposal she has some practical information on sightseeing in San Francisco
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pragmatic
willing to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly
a practical caseworker who doesn't spend a lot of time philosophizing while doing social work in the inner city
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of practical
Daytime attire skews practical, heavy on athleisure, beach cover-ups, and tennis whites.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Jan. 2026
This single-strap leather tote is a tad more practical for everyday use but still fits into the slouchy, hobo trends that are carrying over into 2026.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 8 Jan. 2026
Less than five years ago, Yotam Segev cofounded Cyera to solve the practical, enterprise-scale problem of data security.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
Matt had always been the practical one, the one who kept the train on the tracks.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for practical
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Jan. 2026
This single-strap leather tote is a tad more practical for everyday use but still fits into the slouchy, hobo trends that are carrying over into 2026.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 8 Jan. 2026
Less than five years ago, Yotam Segev cofounded Cyera to solve the practical, enterprise-scale problem of data security.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
Matt had always been the practical one, the one who kept the train on the tracks.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for practical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for practical
Adjective
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Trump believes exacting tariffs can be a useful tool in prodding friends and foes on the global stage to bend to his will.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Gafford would be useful to have around as insurance for a Davis deal or if Lively’s injury ends up impacting his career.—
Sam Vecenie,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Felix’s memoir-manifesto draws on Black radical poetic traditions to argue for the pragmatic power of poetry, and for language as a tool for liberation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
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The winners of the Virginia and New Jersey governor’s races ran on a platform of being a little bit less divisive and trying to be more pragmatic.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Winner is responsible for all applicable federal, state and local taxes, if any, as well as any other costs and expenses associated with Prize acceptance and use not specified herein as being provided.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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China has pushed for a broadly applicable minimum price.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The drills were structured to mimic realistic strike scenarios, with multiple waves of drones making coordinated approaches, forcing defenders to manage simultaneous threats and deploy layered countermeasures effectively.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
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The design from Takeshi Kata is intensifying hyper-realistic and comes with a surprise sting in its tail, not to mention some gorgeous vistas from the great Chicago lighting designer Heather Gilbert, who send shafts of light into the play’s motel room of the paranoid.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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On that note, PESCO-UP is led by VTT, the largest research and technology company and research center in Finland, conducting applied research.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Jan. 2026
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Then, Miller placed his hands around her neck and applied pressure, causing the woman to experience difficulty breathing, a court document states.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Practical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/practical. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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