Standard Lemma guide

practical

adj · noun · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australian, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpɹæk.tɪ.kəl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • British, Midlands, Northern-England, Southern, Standard: /ˈpɹak.tɪ.kəl/
  • Scotland, Wales: /ˈpɾak.tɪ.kəl/
  • New-Zealand: /ˈpɹɛk.tə.kəl/
  • CMU ARPABET: P R AE1 K T AH0 K AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: P R AE1 K T IH0 K AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Relating to, or based on, practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Jack didn't get an engineering degree, but has practical knowledge of metalworking.
  • Modern engineering applies science to practical problems.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation; able to be put to use.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Jack's knowledge has the practical benefit of giving us useful prototype parts.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Of a person, having skills or knowledge that are practical.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • All in all, Jack's a very practical chap.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Of a prop: having some degree of functionality, rather than being a mere imitation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, theater

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Light fixtures used for set lighting and seen in the frame of a shot as part of the scenery.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: broadcasting, film, media, television

Examples

  • Practical lighting can help sell the illusion that the film is a real situation.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A part of an exam or series of exams in which the candidate has to demonstrate their practical ability

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A prop that has some degree of functionality, rather than being a mere imitation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, theater

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A light fixture used for set lighting and seen in the frame of a shot as part of the scenery.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: broadcasting, film, media, television

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

Laboratory experiment, test or investigation

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective

Meaning 10

concerned with actual use or practice

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he is a very practical person
  • the idea had no practical application
  • a practical knowledge of Japanese
  • woodworking is a practical art

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: impractical

11

adjective satellite

Meaning 11

having or put to a practical purpose or use

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • practical mathematics
  • practical applications of calculus

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

adjective satellite

Meaning 12

guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a hardheaded appraisal of our position
  • a hard-nosed labor leader
  • completely practical in his approach to business
  • not ideology but pragmatic politics

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hardheaded, hard-nosed, pragmatic

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

97 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: prakties — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Arabic: تَطْبِيقِيّ (taṭbīqiyy) — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Armenian: գործնական (gorcnakan) — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Armenian: պրակտիկ (praktik) — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Bulgarian: практичен (praktičen) — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Catalan: pràctic — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Czech: praktický — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Dutch: praktisch — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Esperanto: praktika — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Finnish: käytännön- — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • French: pratique — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Galician: práctico — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • German: praktisch — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Greek: πρακτικός (praktikós) — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Hebrew: מעשי — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Hindi: प्रायोगिक (prāyogik) — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Hungarian: gyakorlati — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Italian: pratico — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Japanese: 実践的な (jissen-teki na) — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Korean: 실질적인 (siljiljeogin) — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Persian: پراتیک (prâtik) — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Polish: praktyczny — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Portuguese: prático — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Romanian: practic — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Russian: практи́ческий (praktíčeskij) — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Spanish: práctico — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Swedish: praktisk — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Tagalog: panggamitin — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Ukrainian: практи́чний (praktýčnyj) — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Volapük: plagik — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Welsh: ymarferol — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Yiddish: פּראַקטיש (praktish) — based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Afrikaans: prakties — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Arabic: عَمَلِيّ (ʕamaliyy) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Armenian: գործնական (gorcnakan) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Armenian: պրակտիկ (praktik) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Bulgarian: използваем (izpolzvaem) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Bulgarian: целесъобразен (celesǎobrazen) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 使用的 (shǐyòng de) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 實用 /实用 (shíyòng) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Dutch: praktisch — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Finnish: käytännöllinen — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Finnish: käytännönläheinen — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Georgian: პრაქტიკული (ṗrakṭiḳuli) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • German: praktisch — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Greek: πρακτικός (praktikós) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Greek: χρήσιμος (chrísimos) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Hebrew: ישים — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Hebrew: בר־ישום — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Hindi: प्रायोगिक (prāyogik) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Hindi: क्रियात्मक (kriyātmak) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Hindi: व्यवहारिक (vyavhārik) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Hungarian: praktikus — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Hungarian: célszerű — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Hungarian: hasznos — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Hungarian: ügyes — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Indonesian: praktis — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Italian: concreto — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Italian: reale — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Japanese: 実用的な (jitsuyou-teki na) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Korean: 현실적인 (hyeonsiljeogin) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: føremålstenleg — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Polish: praktyczny — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Russian: практи́ческий (praktíčeskij) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Swedish: praktisk — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Tagalog: maisasagawa — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Ukrainian: практи́чний (praktýčnyj) — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Welsh: ymarferol — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Welsh: dichonadwy — being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation
  • Afrikaans: prakties — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Armenian: գործիմաց (gorcimacʻ) — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Armenian: պրակտիկ (praktik) — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Bulgarian: практичен (praktičen) — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Czech: praktický — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Dutch: praktisch — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Finnish: käytännöllinen — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • German: praktisch — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Greek: πρακτικός (praktikós) — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Hungarian: gyakorlatias — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Hungarian: élelmes — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Italian: funzionale — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Japanese: 実務経験のある (jitsumu-keiken no aru) — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Japanese: 経験豊かな (keiken yutaka na) — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Norwegian Bokmål: praktisk — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: praktisk — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Russian: практи́чный (praktíčnyj) — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Swedish: praktisk — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Tagalog: maisasagawa — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Welsh: ymarferol — having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • Bulgarian: практика (praktika) — a part of an exam or series of exams in which the candidate has to demonstrate their practical ability
  • German: Praktikum — a part of an exam or series of exams in which the candidate has to demonstrate their practical ability
  • Hindi: प्रायोगिक (prāyogik) — a part of an exam or series of exams in which the candidate has to demonstrate their practical ability
  • Hungarian: gyakorlat — a part of an exam or series of exams in which the candidate has to demonstrate their practical ability
  • Hungarian: szeminárium — a part of an exam or series of exams in which the candidate has to demonstrate their practical ability
  • Hungarian: gyakorlati kurzus — a part of an exam or series of exams in which the candidate has to demonstrate their practical ability
  • Hungarian: gyakorlati vizsga — a part of an exam or series of exams in which the candidate has to demonstrate their practical ability
  • Indonesian: praktikum — a part of an exam or series of exams in which the candidate has to demonstrate their practical ability
Real reading context

practical in complete knowledge articles