26984 words

practical

10 definitions • 15 examples
1

Examples:

Qualifications are important but practical experience is always a plus.
The service offers young people practical advice on finding a job.
What's the use of theoretical knowledge that has no practical application?
2
in fact:

Examples:

Dr Frampton is in charge, but for all practical purposes, her assistant runs the office.
3
suitable for the situation in which something is used:

Examples:

I tend to wear clothes that are practical rather than fashionable.
Heavy boots aren't very practical for running.
4

Examples:

She has lots of interesting ideas, but they're not very practical.
We need someone practical who can cope with a crisis.
5
able to be done or put into action:

Examples:

[ + to infinitive ] It's simply not practical to divide the work between so many people.
6
a class or exam in a scientific or technical subject in which students do things rather than just write or talk about them:

Examples:

We had to dissect a worm and a frog in our biology practical today.
7
relating to actual experience or to the use of knowledge in activities rather than to knowledge only or ideas:

Examples:

I know you’ve been trained as a teacher, but do you have any practical teaching experience?
8
If you say that a person is practical, you mean the person behaves in ways that relate more to the realities of the world than to ideas or desires:

Examples:

You’ve got to learn to be practical and save your money.
9
fitting the needs of a particular situation in a helpful way; helping to solve a problem or difficulty; effective or suitable:

Examples:

We didn’t want to spend the night at a motel, but it just wasn’t practical to do the trip in one day.
In some cities, it isn’t practical to keep the subways operating all night because there aren’t enough passengers.
10
When used of objects such as clothes, practical can mean directed only to the goal of doing their intended work, and often plain in style or character:

Examples:

I wear clothes that are practical rather than fashionable.

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