practice

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a customary way of operation or behavior

   it is their practice to give annual raises

2. 2
   noun

   translating an idea into action

   a hard theory to put into practice

3. 3
   noun

   the exercise of a profession

   the practice of the law

4. 4
   noun

   systematic training by multiple repetitions

   practice makes perfect

5. 5
   noun

   knowledge of how something is usually done

   it is not the local practice to wear shorts to dinner

6. 6
   verb

   engage in or perform

   practice safe sex

7. 7
   noun

   Repetition of an activity to improve a skill.

   Near-synonyms: (sometimes synonymous) training, rehearsing, rehearsal, dry run, trial, workout

8. 8
   noun

   An organized event for the purpose of performing such repetition.

   Being on a team is hard: you're always having to go to practice while everyone else is taking it easy.

Etymology

The noun is from Middle English practice, practique, practyse, from the verb; also compare Medieval Latin prāctica. The verb is from Middle English practice, practise, practize, practyse, from Middle French pratiser, practiser, alteration of practiquer, from Medieval Latin prācticāre, from Late Latin prācticus, from Ancient Greek πρακτικός (praktikós). The spelling practice is attested once in Middle English for both the noun and the verb. The noun began to be assimilated in spelling to nouns in -ice; practise (noun) is now obsolete.