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
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 practical
Besides, for Australia and Japan in particular, the practical differences between today’s defense partnership and one of mutual defense are relatively small and shrinking by the day.
—
Ely Ratner, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2025
Topics include earning passive income online, mastering communication and public speaking skills, acing your job interview, and practical strategies to grow your wealth.
—Celia Fernandez, CNBC, 26 May 2025
Trade schools focus on teaching practical skills for specific trades or professions.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 26 May 2025
States warn there could be 'unprecedented chaos' Jeremy Feigenbaum, a lawyer representing the states challenging Trump's policy, stressed the practical problems of not having a national standard for citizenship while the executive order is being litigated.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for practical
Ely Ratner, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2025
Topics include earning passive income online, mastering communication and public speaking skills, acing your job interview, and practical strategies to grow your wealth.
—Celia Fernandez, CNBC, 26 May 2025
Trade schools focus on teaching practical skills for specific trades or professions.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 26 May 2025
States warn there could be 'unprecedented chaos' Jeremy Feigenbaum, a lawyer representing the states challenging Trump's policy, stressed the practical problems of not having a national standard for citizenship while the executive order is being litigated.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for practical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for practical
Adjective
-
This would be particularly useful for patients at higher risk due to age or family history.—
Mill Etienne,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
-
All this is to say, my phone is full of useful information and tools that help keep me safe—contacts, copies of documents, health insurance, GPS maps, and more.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Travel + Leisure,
25 May 2025
Adjective
-
The daughter of a generous and pragmatic father who worked for the Internal Revenue Service and a mother who wore a suit of armor over a devastating diagnosis.—
Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
Many refugee writers demonstrate awareness of the fact that telling stories serves ends both personal and pragmatic, therapeutic and bureaucratic.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
While the first sale rule is broadly applicable across products and industries, it is considered particularly useful in higher-value consumer goods and luxury products, where margins are greater.—
Karen Gilchrist,
CNBC,
26 May 2025
-
The average cost of a fast food meal includes applicable state and local sales taxes based on the restaurants' locations.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 May 2025
Adjective
-
Shutting down all gas plants isn’t realistic, at least not yet; even California still depends on gas for one-third of its electricity.—
Sammy Roth,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2025
-
On Thursday, Hutchinson was asked how realistic a return would’ve been.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
Jain: That’s a powerful example of applied storytelling.—
Sachin H. Jain,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
-
Bracket Calculating the likelihood of a perfect bracket is an exercise in applied probability.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Practical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/practical. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share