practice 1 of 2

variants also practise

practice

2 of 2

verb

variants also practise
as in to exercise
to do over and over so as to become skilled in order to play the guitar well, you need to practice fingering every single day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun practice differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of practice are custom, habit, usage, and wont. While all these words mean "a way of acting fixed through repetition," practice suggests an act or method followed with regularity and usually through choice.

our practice is to honor all major credit cards

When is it sensible to use custom instead of practice?

The words custom and practice can be used in similar contexts, but 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

When can habit be used instead of practice?

In some situations, the words habit and practice are roughly equivalent. However, habit implies a doing unconsciously and often compulsively.

had a habit of tapping his fingers

When could usage be used to replace practice?

Although the words usage and practice have much in common, 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

When is wont a more appropriate choice than practice?

While the synonyms wont and practice are close in meaning, wont usually applies to a habitual manner, method, or practice of an individual or group.

as was her wont, she slept until noon

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of practice
Noun
On Tuesday, Rice caught closer Luke Weaver’s live batting practice as the righty recovers from a left hamstring strain. Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 18 June 2025 Advertisement When the pandemic hit, her school went remote and swim practice was canceled. Charlotte Alter, Time, 18 June 2025
Verb
Another family, who practices Humanist and atheist traditions, said the displays will remind their child of previous trauma experienced at school due to religious proselytizing. Natalie Demaree, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2025 Francis Fox, pedophile, is a smug, deceitful middle school English teacher, practiced in the art of seduction and the rewards and punishment psychology of B.F. Skinner. Heather Scott Partington, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for practice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for practice
Noun
  • Everyone was having so much fun and would show up early for rehearsals to watch.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 June 2025
  • Engaging in work outside the studio or rehearsal space provides the critical structure, financial stability and mental refreshment essential for crucial artistic results.
    Kice Akkawi, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
Noun
  • No title yet revealed, but the pod will launch mid-July, the duo engage in heartfelt and unfiltered conversations about everyday life such as discuss raising a family, cultivating gardens, home improvements, careers, fostering healthy habits and aging.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 18 June 2025
  • Inspired by Napoleon’s habit of using toy soldiers to plot his military battles, the designer dotted the entrance with giant cutouts with gold outlines, and shrouded the floor in smoke.
    Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • To keep the plant vibrant, incorporate a fertilizer into your watering routine.
    Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 25 June 2025
  • The problem with that habit memory, or that basal ganglia, is that when there's a change in that normal routine … your basal ganglia can't account for that.
    Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Since the revolution, citizens have continued to gather to exercise free speech and to debate what constitutes civil liberties and human rights at Faneuil Hall.
    Lisa Meyers McClintick, USA Today, 21 June 2025
  • Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton has exercised his player option for the 2025-26 season, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.
    Eric Nehm, New York Times, 21 June 2025
Noun
  • Abrego Garcia’s lawyers filed an emergency request Thursday to a federal judge in Maryland to order the government to take Abrego Garcia to that state upon release, an arrangement that would prevent his deportation before trial.
    Ben Finley, Fortune, 27 June 2025
  • Hippler held back little in writing that the defense had failed to meet its legal burden necessary to warrant delay of the trial.
    Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • But for others, especially high-achieving professionals used to being seen and heard, working from home quietly unearths a troubling mental pattern: when the feedback loop goes silent, the mind fills in the blanks.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
  • Stephanie McFarland, a spokeswoman for the Indiana Excise Police, said evidence is required to show a pattern of behavior — rather than a single incident — to secure an arrest for promoting prostitution against the owner.
    Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
Noun
  • For 35 years, the ABA’s Rule of Law Initiative (ROLI) has strengthened legal institutions in more than 100 countries, training judges, supporting lawyers, and fostering respect for human rights.
    Michael Posner, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
  • Townsend is creating a nonprofit aimed at building camps and training spaces where young tennis players can be exposed to the sport and deepen their skills.
    Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • The ritual completed, my father assessed himself in the mirror.
    Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
  • All the perfumed unguents and performative rituals of fame are present.
    Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Practice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/practice. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on practice

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!