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
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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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So he’s been a writer on the show, and it’s been a really useful resource.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
5 Feb. 2025
-
One such location exists in the early game of KCD 2, which hides a useful bow, completely for free.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But the underlying facts paint a different picture, suggesting pragmatic rather than political rationale.—
Eric Berger,
Ars Technica,
6 Feb. 2025
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The older-younger generational divide emerges in an entirely different way in the latter episodes, with a growing riff between pragmatic (some would say selfish) Gen Xers and more idealistic and collectivist (some would say guileless) younger millennial and Gen Zers.—
James Hibberd,
The Hollywood Reporter,
4 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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If applicable, quiz people from your own social circle about their interpretations of the dress code.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
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 20 Feb. 2025.
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