Synonyms of practice

practice 1 of 2

noun

variants also practise

1

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

• rehearsal
• trial
• dry run
• exercise
• dress rehearsal
• preview
• drill
• walk-through
• run-through

2

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

• habit
• pattern
• ritual
• custom
• tendency
• way
• style
• trick
• second nature
• fashion
• characteristic
• trait
• routine
• wont
• inclination
• use
• habitude
• convention
• usage
• mode
• disposition
• addiction
• regime
• set
• drill
• proclivity
• manners
• regimen
• deportment
• bag
• tenor
• rote
• bent
• turn
• groove
• pose
• form
• régime
• attribute
• rut
• mores
• affectation
• peculiarity
• airs
• singularity
• eccentricity
• quirk
• tic
• jog trot
• kink
• oddity
• mark

3

as in routine

something done over and over in order to develop skill

practice makes perfect

Synonyms & Similar Words

• routine
• training
• exercise
• workout
• drill
• lesson
• homework
• assignment
• refresher
• brushup
• review

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

• exercise
• drill
• study
• run over
• perfect
• repeat
• refine
• rehearse
• prepare (for)
• review
• train (with)
• work (at or on)
• point (for)
• groove

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

Recent Examples of practice

Noun

After the Miami Hurricanes’ first practice of fall camp on July 31, defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor wore a black T-shirt with one word on it: Enough. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025

Further, the outside doors of the campus are locked at 8 a.m. and hallway doors to the school are locked at 3:30 p.m. The Annunciation Church also had a practice in place to lock the church doors as Mass service began. —Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025

Verb

Given that North Korea has practiced attacking South Korean air bases, Seoul's military has begun assessing a second base for its future stealth aircraft to boost the fleet's survivability. —Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025

Reportedly, Gonzalez should be available for Week 1, though the Patriots have less than two weeks to practice and prepare for their season opener against the Raiders on Sept. 7. —Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 Aug. 2025