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

Organized in a fashion, but loosely so, an outgrowth, in both spirit and practical measure, of the network of express riders devised by Samuel Adams and elevated by Paul Revere. —Kostya Kennedy, Time, 16 Feb. 2026

The final shots, of Robert flying in an airplane for the first time, were captured with practical trickery. —Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026

Keith Wetherell, executive director of the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association, which represents a handful of small, cash-reliant or cash-exclusive businesses, has practical concerns, too. —Erika Tulfo, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026

How To Wash New Sheets Richardson's tips for the most comfortable experience with new sheets are both very practical and very luxurious. —Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026

Phrases Containing practical

• practical joke