Practical meaning of word

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɹæktɪkəl/
• Hyphenation: prac‧ti‧cal

Adjective[edit]

practical (comparative more practical, superlative most practical)

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

   Jack didn’t get an engineering degree, but has practical knowledge of metalworking.

   Modern engineering applies science to practical problems.

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

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

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

   All in all, Jack’s a very practical chap.

4. (theater, not comparable) Of a prop: having some degree of functionality, rather than being a mere imitation.
5. (film) Light fixtures used for set lighting and seen in the frame of a shot as part of the scenery.

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

Usage notes[edit]

Example of use contrasted with practicable:

• «While others might agree that it was practical to rewrite the entire section, it was not truly practicable given other considerations.»

Antonyms[edit]

• (based on practice or action): theoretical
• (likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation): impractical
• (of a person): impractical

Derived terms[edit]

• practicality
• practically

[edit]

• practicable
• practice
• practise
• practitioner
• pragmatic

Translations[edit]

Noun[edit]

practical (plural practicals)

1. (Britain) A part of an exam or series of exams in which the candidate has to demonstrate their practical ability
2. (theater) A prop that has some degree of functionality, rather than being a mere imitation.
   • 2013, Deena Kaye, James LeBrecht, Sound and Music for the Theatre: The Art & Technique of Design

     Practicals are used onstage as they would be used in real life. If the sound cue is to be from a radio or television, give qualities to the recording that will maintain the sense of the medium.

3. (film) A light fixture used for set lighting and seen in the frame of a shot as part of the scenery.
   • 2001, Francis Reid, The Stage Lighting Handbook (page 124)

     A naturalistic set is normally dressed with all the furnishings and props to be found in a real room. This includes electric light fittings which, when they actually light, are known as practicals.

4. Laboratory experiment, test or investigation

Translations[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• practical in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• “practical”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

практический, практичный, удобный, реальный, фактический, полезный, целесообразный

прилагательное ↓

существительное

- (обыкн. pl) практические занятия
- прагматик; практичный человек

Словосочетания

completely practical in his approach to business — абсолютно практичен в своём подходе к бизнесу  
a plan without much practical utility — план без особого практического смысла  
by practical consideration — опытным путём  
practical experience — практический опыт  
a practical doctor — практикующий врач  
practical nursing — медсестринское дело  
practical certainty — практическая достоверность  
practical accuracy — фактическая [реальная] точность  
practical implementation of the method — практическое применение метода  
a number of problems of practical importance — ряд практически важных задач  
be of practical importance — иметь практическое значение  
practical importance — практическое значение  

Примеры с переводом

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

Возможные однокоренные слова

Формы слова

noun
ед. ч.(singular): practical
мн. ч.(plural): practicals

In arranging the parts of speech, I conceive it to be the legitimate object of the practical grammarian, to consult _practical convenience_. ❋ Samuel Kirkham (N/A)

That certain human souls, living on this practical Earth, should think to save themselves and a ruined world by noisy theoretic demonstrations and laudations of _the_ Church, instead of some unnoisy, unconscious, but _practical_, total, heart-and-soul demonstration of a Church: this, in the circle of revolving ages, this also was a thing we were to see. ❋ Thomas Carlyle (1838)

That certain human souls, living on this practical Earth, should think to save themselves and a ruined world by noisy theoretic demonstrations and laudations of _the_ Church, instead of some unnoisy, unconscious, but _practical, _ total, heart-and-soul demonstration of _a_ Church: this, in the circle of revolving ages, this also was a thing we were to see. ❋ Thomas Carlyle (1838)

Bismarck opened debate on the subject on 17 November 1881 in the Imperial Message to the Reichstag, using the term practical Christianity43 to describe his program. ❋ Unknown (2010)

MARTIN: I think — now, I think the word — the term practical is probably better than logical. ❋ Unknown (2009)

There has recently sprung up a class of educational philosophers who would restrict the term practical education to those forms of knowledge or formulas of information which can be converted into cash equivalent on demand. ❋ Unknown (N/A)

But while the student of Nature distinctly refuses to have his labours judged by their practical issues, unless the term practical be made to include mental as well as material good, he knows full well that the greatest practical triumphs have been episodes in the search after pure natural truth. ❋ John Tyndall (1856)

Financial support Cheng says other SCO members expect stronger economic and financial support from China, so President Hu will be discussing what else can be done within the SCO framework to promote what he described as practical economic cooperation. ❋ Unknown (2011)

Not forgotten among the practical is the cerebral at the conference, as in the case of “Negotiating a Green Mindset,” a workshop that will offer tools to the faithful few seeking to spread the word of sustainability. ❋ Unknown (2009)

He argues that once we have disciplined human reason to stay off that theoretical path, we are then in a position to make an affirmation of God on the basis of what he terms the practical, i.e., moral, use of reason. ❋ Rossi, Philip (2009)

And the goal is that we need to put it away, we need to create what I call practical systems. ❋ Unknown (2007)

These are good examples of what I call practical regionalism where countries which are bound together by geography find practical ways of working together to achieve their mutual objectives. ❋ Unknown (2000)

«That’s what I call practical,» and he pointed to an ice-cream vender, industriously wiping a spoon on the tail of his shirt, before offering it to a new customer. ❋ Florence Partello Stuart (N/A)

To give what we call practical help we must be practical ourselves. ❋ Harriet E. (AKA E. Chester} Paine (N/A)

Except the human anatomist turns now to what he terms the practical ends of his study, and marshals his little knowledge to bear upon those ends, one may proclaim anthropotomy to have worn itself out. ❋ Joseph Maclise (N/A)

«Oh, yes,» he had answered, «father’s keen on my being what he calls practical, but,» and he had smiled frankly at his questioner, «I wouldn’t leave now — not for the proud possession of every tree, flat or standing, this side of the Pacific.» ❋ Ethel Watts Mumford (1909)

You’re what you call practical, and your mind runs upon the number of yards of rockwork you can put up in a day or the logs you can cut. ❋ Harold Bindloss (1905)

In what we call the practical world of to-day there is no appeal from the God of Fear but _to_ the God of Fear. ❋ Basil King (1893)

From the most concrete of inventions to the most abstract of conceptions the same force reveals itself upon examination; for there is no gulf between what we call practical and what we consider theoretical. ❋ Percival Lowell (1885)

The practical [use] of [a gun] is self-defense. ❋ Larstait (2003)

«[Do you] [know that] girl [Paula]?» «yeah she’s really practical.» ❋ Chicka Chicka Yeaaaaaa (2012)

not the game, we talking bout practice man. we ain’t talking about the game, we talkin about practice. [what are we] talkin about? Practice. we talking about practice man. we talking about practice man we talking about practice.
if you practice, not [only you] will be better, but your teammates will be better
how the hell am I supposed to make my teammates better by practicin?!?
-Allen [Iverson] ❋ DLee42 (2006)

[The girl] was practically of [a normal] [height], but she was still pretty short. ❋ Matt4731 (2015)

Guy1: Asta e un [telefon]
Guy2: Da, practic este un dispozitiv de pe care [faci] apeluri telefonice cu o cartela
Guy1: [Frate], e un telefon, stiam asta deja ❋ Probablythisnameisntused (2020)

I’d better [practice] my [skating] if I want to make enemies [on the ice]. ❋ James Bell (2007)

[Domo]: Ay, [Candece] Ur girl now?
Jamie: [Hell naw] mayne. that bitch just practice. ❋ The Original New New (2006)

Allan: Dude you coming by my house first before we go out? We got to [pregame].
V: I’m already practicing at my house.
Allan: [Game time] bitches! [Practice makes perfect]. ❋ V The Mosquite NJ (2010)

wHy [yoU nO] [pRACtiCe], hUh?????? [LinG LiNg] pRacTIceS 40 hOuRs a DaY!!!!! ❋ Pialinist (2020)

I am practically [living] with [Frank].
[You’ve Got Mail] ❋ සකල බුජන් (2019)