Thesaurus results for PRACTICE

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

practice 1 of 2

noun

variants also practise

Definition of practice next

as in rehearsal

a private performance or session in preparation for a public appearance we held one last practice before the big concert

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in habit

a usual manner of behaving or doing the store's practice has always been to honor all major credit cards

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in routine

something done over and over in order to develop skill practice makes perfect

Synonyms & Similar Words

practice

2 of 2

verb

ˈprak-təs

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

Example 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

In both the public and private sector, diversity initiatives have covered a range of practices, from anti-discrimination training and conducting pay equity studies to making efforts to recruit more members of minority groups and women as employees. —

Gqlshare, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2025 The practice preceded and then coincided with the enslavement of more than 12 million Africans in the Americas, though its methods and visibility differed. —

Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025

Verb

For smaller slip-ups, like a friend arriving late to your birthday party or an aunt who accidentally cracked an insensitive comment about your body, both experts recommend getting into the habit of practicing empathy. —

Jenna Ryu, SELF, 3 Feb. 2025 The Sharks met as a group before practicing Sunday to help digest the trade, which came two days after the Sharks were flattened 6-2 by the Seattle Kraken to fall to 15-33-6 on the season. —

Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for practice

Recent Examples of Synonyms for practice

Noun

There are 10-hour rehearsals for the game day festivities, including the national anthem.

— Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 6 Feb. 2025
However, the event quickly unraveled—some guests refused to attend, and the friend responsible for the music made errors during both the rehearsal and ceremony.

— Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025