practical

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈpræktɪkəl/ UK /ˈpɹæk.tɪ.kəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #4614

Meanings

1

adj
Useful and suitable for a real situation rather than just theory.

We need a practical solution that we can use right away.
2

adj
Based on practice or experience rather than ideas.

He has plenty of practical knowledge of car repair.
3

adj
Sensible and good at dealing with everyday matters.

She is a practical person who always plans ahead.

Thesaurus

Opposites

impractical theoretical

Word family

Forms practicals

Derived forms agropracticalempracticalnonpracticalpracticalismpracticalistpracticalitypracticalizepractically practicalnesssemipracticaltheoretico-practicalultrapractical

Related forms practicable practice practise practitioner pragmatic

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

practical advice
guidance that can be directly and easily applied to real situations

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English practical, practicale, praktycall, from Medieval Latin practicālis.

*per- (fare) Proto-Indo-European practical Middle English practicālis la-med

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# practical

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈpræktɪkəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɹæk.tɪ.kəl/
**Frequency rank:** 4614

## Meanings
1. Useful and suitable for a real situation rather than just theory.
2. Based on practice or experience rather than ideas.
3. Sensible and good at dealing with everyday matters.

## Examples
- We need a practical solution that we can use right away.
- He has plenty of practical knowledge of car repair.
- She is a practical person who always plans ahead.

## Antonyms
- impractical
- theoretical

## Derived Forms
- agropractical
- empractical
- nonpractical
- practicalism
- practicalist
- practicality
- practicalize
- practically
- practicalness
- semipractical
- theoretico-practical
- ultrapractical

## Related Forms
- practicable
- practice
- practise
- practitioner
- pragmatic

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *per- (fare)
- Root: practical
- Root: practicālis
- Affix: -ical - relating to

## Etymology
From Middle English practical, practicale, praktycall, from Medieval Latin practicālis.

## AI Etymology
Practical comes from Middle English practical, practicale, praktycall, from Medieval Latin practicālis. The historical chain includes *per- (fare) (Proto-Indo-European), practical (Middle English), practicālis (la-med). In present-day English it covers useful and suitable for a real situation rather than just theory, based on practice or experience rather than ideas, and sensible and good at dealing with everyday matters. The wider family includes derived forms such as agropractical, empractical, nonpractical, practicalism, practicalist and related forms such as practicable, practice, practise, practitioner.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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