practice 1 of 2

variants also practise

practice

2 of 2

verb

variants also practise
as in to exercise
to do over and over so as to become skilled in order to play the guitar well, you need to practice fingering every single day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun practice differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of practice are custom, habit, usage, and wont. While all these words mean "a way of acting fixed through repetition," practice suggests an act or method followed with regularity and usually through choice.

our practice is to honor all major credit cards

When is it sensible to use custom instead of practice?

The words custom and practice can be used in similar contexts, but custom applies to a practice or usage so steadily associated with an individual or group as to have almost the force of unwritten law.

the custom of wearing black at funerals

When can habit be used instead of practice?

In some situations, the words habit and practice are roughly equivalent. However, habit implies a doing unconsciously and often compulsively.

had a habit of tapping his fingers

When could usage be used to replace practice?

Although the words usage and practice have much in common, usage suggests a customary action so generally followed that it has become a social norm.

western-style dress is now common usage in international business

When is wont a more appropriate choice than practice?

While the synonyms wont and practice are close in meaning, wont usually applies to a habitual manner, method, or practice of an individual or group.

as was her wont, she slept until noon

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of practice
Noun
Buy from Patagonia For the Yogi Hugger Mugger Yoga Wipes Nothing throws off a practice faster than a stinky mat. Abigail Wise, Outside Online, 16 Nov. 2024 Pat O’Donnell, a nine-year veteran, will be called up to the roster after signing earlier this week to the practice squad. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Verb
Adam Bonin, a lawyer in Philadelphia who practices election law, said Neild gave an accurate description of Pennsylvania law and the safeguards against noncitizen voting there. Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 4 Nov. 2024 By encouraging their teams to vote, staying civil, and practicing acceptance, leaders can foster resilience in themselves and their teams. Tarun Galagali, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for practice 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for practice
Noun
  • During a rehearsal break, Arnold motioned Savchenko over and asked him to explain a video, in which eagle-eyed fans noticed the background were the same in Savchenko and Nader’s latest posts.
    Esther Kang, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
  • The drills, viewed as a possible rehearsal for invasion, raised alarms in Washington.
    Billal Rahman, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • The study explored traits of founders with high resilience scores, uncovering habits that bolster both their performance andtheir mental health.
    Philip Salter, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
  • Researchers tracked the habits of a group of wolves over one bloom season, and noted that individual wolves visited as many as 30 blooms at a time.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • After intercepting a pass in the final minutes to help seal the deal, Bynum instinctively found the camera in the end zone, then busted out a routine he’s been working on for a few weeks.
    Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 11 Nov. 2024
  • Her coach, Cecile Landi, saw that judges had erred in evaluating the degree of difficulty for an element of her routine and her score was corrected, landing her in third place.
    Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • In the heart of Ingham, Michigan State University students have exercised their right to vote until the final hour.
    Arpan Lobo, Nushrat Rahman, Natalie Davies, Lindsay Tague, Alexander Boesch, Sarah Moore, Sophia Jundy, Mikia Lawrence, Alec Mork, Siddhi Choubey and Sonja Krohn, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024
  • Get outside — for a walk, or to exercise — and limit time spent checking the news and social media, among other things.
    Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Of the other six, one became a federal informant, while five others either pleaded guilty to murder or were convicted at trial.
    Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
  • The two men, whose trial is scheduled to start Monday, are accused of being part of a sophisticated human smuggling operation feeding a fast-growing population of Indians living illegally in the U.S. Both have pleaded not guilty.
    Ryan J. Foley, Twin Cities, 16 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • And yet a striking pattern suggests that Trump 2.0 does represent a historic turning point on the scale that Musk and Dugin imagine.
    Andreas Kluth, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
  • Specifically, girls may have more neuroplasticity, which is defined as the brain’s ability to recognize new movements and patterns.
    Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 15 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • The legal changes to how Filippone, an agent with the Corcoran Group, and his peers would be allowed to do their jobs would mean more meetings, training, and paperwork.
    Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
  • The company plans to focus on AI consulting, GPU infrastructure, software services, and education and training as part of its business strategy.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Such playoff pushes are an annual ritual under coach Kyle Shanahan tracing to the 2019 season, which opened … here, when defensive back Nick Bosa made his NFL debut on a tender ankle and the 49ers launched an 8-0 start.
    Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
  • When her brother died, Yamuna pleaded with the god of death not to take him away until the vermillion on his forehead had faded and the flower garlands had wilted, performing an elaborate ritual to extend her last moments with her sibling.
    Peter Guo, NBC News, 2 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near practice

Cite this Entry

“Practice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/practice. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on practice

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