pragmatic
adjective
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The word pragmatic has been busy over its more than four centuries of use. Its earliest meanings were "busy," "meddlesome," and "opinionated," but those are now considered archaic uses. The word continues, as it has since the late 19th century, to be used in reference to the philosophical movement of pragmatism (see sense 2). And, as Merriam-Webster Unabridged reports, it also continues to be used in the field of history to describe that which deals with historical events in a way that shows their interconnection. Most often, however, we encounter pragmatic when it is being used to describe people—sometimes ourselves.
So what does it mean for a person to be pragmatic? A person who is pragmatic is concerned more with matters of fact than with what could or should be. A pragmatic person's realm is results and consequences. If that's where your focus is, you may want to apply the word to yourself.
Examples of pragmatic in a Sentence
Lev Grossman, Time, 24 Jan. 2005
… their pragmatic successors like Benjamin Franklin were concerned with lightning's … power but not its thrilling scenic value.
—John Updike, New York Review of Books, 15 Aug. 2002
… pragmatic enough to have held on to their day jobs for years after they were putting out records.
—Chris Mundy, Rolling Stone, 16 Sept. 1993
… and her mysticism never failed to exasperate her pragmatic, mountain-climbing daughter.
—Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses, 1989
His pragmatic view of public education comes from years of working in city schools.
a pragmatic man, not given to grand, visionary schemes
Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
The world too needs to be grateful that the two superpowers are talking like adults again, and with a one year trade truce in motion, are starting to take a more pragmatic path.
—Kerry Brown, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Wear it in pragmatic neutral tones such as khaki or army grey, or make a statement in pink or this fall’s signature shade, burgundy.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2025
Much of her derision is reserved for Joe (Adam Godley), her downtrodden husband and more pragmatic partner-in-crime.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pragmatic
Cite this Entry
“Pragmatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pragmatic. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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pragmatic
adjective
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