impracticable

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌɪmˈpræktɪkəbəl/ UK /ɪmˈpɹaktɪkəb(ə)l/ See IPA manual

Freq #145912

Meanings

1

adj
not capable of being carried out or put into practice

Refloating the sunken ship proved impracticable because of its fragility.
2

adj
Not practicable; impossible or difficult in practice.

It has not been used for many years, and although it was impracticable to photograph the engine in the small confines of the shed it was possible to obtain a picture of the plate which it still carries showing the former ownership.
3

adj
unmanageable

And yet this tough impracticable heart / Is govern'd by a dainty-finger'd girl ; […].
4

noun
an unmanageable person

They were not allowed, of course, to join us in the sitting room, partly that their practice might not be disturbed, but principally, that I was looked upon as an utter impracticable.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not capable of being... infeasibleunfeasible unworkable

Word family

Forms impracticabilityimpracticably

Derived forms impracticabilityimpracticablenessimpracticably

Etymology

From im- + practicable.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# impracticable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌɪmˈpræktɪkəbəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪmˈpɹaktɪkəb(ə)l/
**Frequency rank:** 145912

## Meanings
1. not capable of being carried out or put into practice
2. Not practicable; impossible or difficult in practice.
3. unmanageable
4. an unmanageable person

## Examples
- Refloating the sunken ship proved impracticable because of its fragility.
- It has not been used for many years, and although it was impracticable to photograph the engine in the small confines of the shed it was possible to obtain a picture of the plate which it still carries showing the former ownership.
- And yet this tough impracticable heart / Is govern'd by a dainty-finger'd girl ; […].
- They were not allowed, of course, to join us in the sitting room, partly that their practice might not be disturbed, but principally, that I was looked upon as an utter impracticable.

## Derived Forms
- impracticability
- impracticableness
- impracticably

## Etymology
From im- + practicable.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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