Synonyms of practical

practical

adjective

ˈprak-ti-kəl 

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

• useful
• applicable
• applicative
• applied
• pragmatic
• practicable
• functional
• workable
• actionable
• usable
• serviceable
• working
• utilitarian
• ultrapractical
• available
• mundane
• down-to-earth
• handy
• obtainable
• operating
• accessible
• reachable
• functioning
• operative
• active
• employed
• banausic
• busy
• all-around
• alive

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• theoretical
• impractical
• useless
• impracticable
• academic
• unworkable
• abstract
• inapplicable
• unusable
• nonpractical
• inaccessible
• unavailable
• unobtainable
• unattainable
• unsuitable
• unreachable
• armchair

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pragmatic
• realistic
• sensible
• logical
• rational
• down-to-earth
• reasonable
• matter-of-fact
• cynical
• earthy
• hardheaded
• sound
• utilitarian
• grounded
• sober
• commonsensical
• sane
• hard
• skeptical
• bottom-line
• unromantic
• levelheaded
• unsentimental
• no-nonsense
• disillusioned
• pessimistic
• idealless
• suspicious
• tough-minded
• sobersided
• hard-edged
• misanthropic
• philistine
• distrustful
• mistrustful
• hard-boiled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• impractical
• idealistic
• unrealistic
• imaginative
• utopian
• visionary
• blue-sky
• fanciful
• romantic
• sentimental
• fantastic
• optimistic
• theoretical
• cheerful
• unreasonable
• irrational
• illogical
• insane
• trusting
• trustful
• unsuspicious
• rose-colored
• half-baked

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of practical

The Missouri Supreme Court, however, said the state’s concerns about confusion, expense, and practical difficulties did not change the legal status of HB 1. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026

Its casual, practical design takes you from the gym to the coffee shop without sacrificing style (or comfort). — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2026

The reason this is now possible and practical comes down to the fact that detection is not footage. — Krish Kumar, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026

But the Black community’s politics—for that matter, politics in any practical sense—is entirely elided. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Phrases Containing practical

• practical joke