impractical

adjective

im·​prac·​ti·​cal (ˌ)im-ˈprak-ti-kəl 

: not practical: such as

a

: not wise to put into or keep in practice or effect

b

: incapable of dealing sensibly or prudently with practical matters

c

: impracticable

d

: idealistic

impracticality

(ˌ)im-ˌprak-ti-ˈka-lə-tē 

noun

impractically

(ˌ)im-ˈprak-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• impracticable
• inoperable
• nonpractical
• unserviceable
• unusable
• unworkable
• useless

Examples of impractical in a Sentence

Little sports cars are impractical for large families.

He was a dreamy and impractical young man.

Recent Examples on the Web

But that’s impractical for building habitats on other worlds. —Sven Bilén, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2025

The caption itself is impractical, if not impossible, for Worthy now. —Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2025

And with insurance companies increasingly pulling coverage or raising deductibles to levels that make claims financially impractical, homeowners are being left to deal with roof damage on their own. —Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025

Delays, mismanagement, and shifting political priorities have made a complicated project impractical. —Phillip Molnar, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for impractical

• syntactical
• unpractical
• practical
• tactical

Kids Definition

impractical

adjective

im·​prac·​ti·​cal (ˈ)im-ˈprak-ti-kəl 

: not practical: as

a

: not wise to put into or keep in practice or effect

an impractical rule disliked by many

b

: incapable of dealing sensibly with practical matters

c

: impracticable

the new gadgets were complicated and impractical

impracticality

(ˌ)im-ˌprak-ti-ˈkal-ət-ē 

noun

impractically

(ˈ)im-ˈprak-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb