1
as in useful
capable of being put to use or account
a practical and simple solution for the town's waste disposal she has some practical information on sightseeing in San Francisco
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pragmatic
willing to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly
a practical caseworker who doesn't spend a lot of time philosophizing while doing social work in the inner city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of practical
Social organizations helping trans people tend to focus more on these very practical issues, like helping people find work.
—
The Dial, 6 Feb. 2025
Trainees could get practical experience in crisis-free periods by repairing homes in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
—David Bainbridge, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
While many lawmakers cited ethical or moral concerns, others focused on the practical implications of Trump’s proposal, which would ostensibly force the American military to occupy one of the world’s ugliest flashpoints.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2025
Who will Trump's executive order returning federal employees to full-time work in offices without a practical justification hurt the most?
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for practical 
The Dial, 6 Feb. 2025
Trainees could get practical experience in crisis-free periods by repairing homes in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
—David Bainbridge, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
While many lawmakers cited ethical or moral concerns, others focused on the practical implications of Trump’s proposal, which would ostensibly force the American military to occupy one of the world’s ugliest flashpoints.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2025
Who will Trump's executive order returning federal employees to full-time work in offices without a practical justification hurt the most?
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for practical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for practical
Adjective
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See our Tips and Tricks for more useful information on Connections.—
New York Times Games,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2025
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Capitalize simplifies the task of tracking down and rolling over old 401(k) accounts, a useful service given the growing prevalence of workplace retirement savings accounts, even if job-hopping has slowed from its frenzied pace in 2022.—
Hank Tucker,
Forbes,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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That unpleasant character proposes Kasper join him and older, pragmatic Hasse (Christopher Wagelin) in robbing one of the city’s primary cash-handling operations, which services banks and other businesses.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2025
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Perceptions of Emery as a pragmatic manager are outdated — his squad-building suggests a more relaxed, free-wheeling approach.—
Jacob Tanswell,
The Athletic,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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According to the team, the fluid dynamics involved in periodic cooking may be applicable in other materials research projects.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
7 Feb. 2025
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Panama says the toll rates, which are calculated using a universally applicable formula, are being applied fairly to all ships, regardless of nationality.—
Nate Iglehart,
The Christian Science Monitor,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Yet others are realistic: any action here will anger some corner of the Democratic coalition that, at the moment, is far from unified or confident that their team in Washington knows what’s next.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
14 Feb. 2025
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Bregman represented a unique opportunity who did not seem like a realistic option as the Cubs quickly checked off items early in the offseason, building upon a roster that is already favored to win the division.—
Patrick Mooney,
The Athletic,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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And, in the interplay of pure and applied math, here the practical, real-world need is motivating new mathematics?—
Siobhan Roberts,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
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In 1994, the applied mathematician Peter Shor was inspired by a recent oracle result (opens a new tab) to develop a fast quantum algorithm for factoring large numbers — a task whose apparent difficulty underlies the cryptographic systems that keep our online data secure.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
3 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near practical
Cite this Entry
“Practical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/practical. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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