practical
practical — adjective
1. based on doing real tasks or working in real situations, not just learning the t
based on doing real tasks or working in real situations, not just learning the theory from books or lectures.
Maya wanted a job that gave her practical experience with patients, not just lectures.
collocation: practical experience (vs theoretical)
The cooking course mixes classroom study with practical work in a real restaurant kitchen.
collocation: practical work
Nursing students need months of practical training before they can work alone on a ward.
Carlos prefers practical lessons where he can fix a real engine instead of reading about it.
The driving test has both a written part and a practical part on the road.
- hands-on
more informal; emphasises personally doing the task
- applied
more academic; common in 'applied science / linguistics'
- experiential
formal; used in education theory
- theoretical
based on ideas rather than doing
- academic
of book learning, sometimes implying remote from real life
文法句型
practical experience
practical training
practical work
用法筆記
Often contrasted directly with 'theoretical' or 'academic'. Frequently appears in fixed phrases such as 'practical experience', 'practical training', and 'practical work'.
常見錯誤
2. describing what is actually true once you ignore theory or official statements;
describing what is actually true once you ignore theory or official statements; how something turns out in real, everyday life.
On paper Lina is the manager, but in practical terms her assistant runs the team.
fixed phrase: in practical terms
The new rule sounds strict, but the practical effect on small shops is almost zero.
collocation: practical effect
For all practical purposes, the old factory closed when its last two workers retired.
The treaty looks fair, but the practical reality for farmers in the south is much harder.
- theoretical
true only in theory, not in real life
- nominal
formal; in name only
文法句型
in practical terms
for (all) practical purposes
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun (practical terms, practical effect, practical reality). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is not about doing tasks but about what actually happens, often opposed to 'on paper' or 'in theory'.
3. well designed for everyday use, so that an object, room, or piece of clothing wo
well designed for everyday use, so that an object, room, or piece of clothing works well in the situation people actually need it for.
These boots look plain, but they are very practical for long walks in wet weather.
pattern: practical for + activity
Sarah chose a small white car because it is practical for narrow city streets.
A round table is more practical than a square one when you have guests of different sizes.
The kitchen has a practical layout, with the fridge, sink, and stove close together.
Cotton trousers are more practical than silk ones for hiking in summer.
- functional
stresses that something works well, with no extra decoration
- useful
wider; not always about good design
- handy
informal; convenient and easy to use
- impractical
looks nice but does not work well in real use
- decorative
made for looks, not for use
文法句型
practical for + noun
practical to + infinitive
用法筆記
Subject is usually a concrete object, garment, vehicle, or layout. Often paired with 'for + activity' or compared with another option using 'more practical than'.
4. describing a person, or the way they think, as down-to-earth: focused on what ca
describing a person, or the way they think, as down-to-earth: focused on what can really be done and on solving problems, rather than on dreams, feelings, or perfect ideas.
Be practical, Marcus — we cannot afford a new car this year, however much you want one.
imperative: 'be practical' meaning 'be realistic'
Aunt Rosa is a very practical woman who always knows how to fix a problem in the house.
We need a practical approach to the budget, not big speeches about future success.
Dr. Tanaka took a practical view of the illness and explained exactly what the family should do next.
Try to be practical about the wedding costs before you start choosing flowers.
- realistic
very close; emphasises accepting facts as they are
- sensible
more about good judgement in daily choices
- down-to-earth
informal; describes a friendly, simple personality
- pragmatic
more formal; common in politics or business
- idealistic
guided by perfect ideas, not by reality
- impractical
of a person: bad at handling daily life
- unrealistic
expects results that cannot really happen
文法句型
a practical person
be practical about + noun
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 5 (POSSIBLE): sense 4 describes a mindset or person ('she is practical'), while sense 5 describes whether a plan can be done ('the plan is not practical'). With people, 'practical' is a compliment; calling an idea practical means it could realistically work.
常見錯誤
5. of a plan, idea, or solution: possible to carry out successfully with the time,
of a plan, idea, or solution: possible to carry out successfully with the time, money, and resources you actually have.
Carlos found it wasn't practical to drive across Manila during rush hour, so he took the metro.
pattern: it is (not) practical to + verb
The committee chose a practical plan that the small village could finish within one year.
collocation: practical plan
Solar panels are now a practical solution for many homes in southern Taiwan.
Walking to school is only practical if you live within a kilometre of the gates.
- impractical
cannot really be done with current resources
- unworkable
stronger; the plan is sure to fail
文法句型
it is practical to do something
a practical plan / solution
用法筆記
Often used with 'it is (not) practical to + infinitive'. Distinguish from sense 4: sense 5 judges a plan or action ('the plan is practical'), while sense 4 describes a person's mindset ('she is practical').
6. used before a noun to say that something is so close to being complete or total
used before a noun to say that something is so close to being complete or total that the small difference does not matter — for example, a practical certainty is one tiny step short of a guarantee.
After two perfect seasons, winning the league seemed a practical certainty for the team.
collocation: practical certainty
The old company has a practical monopoly on bus routes between the two villages.
collocation: practical monopoly
Crossing the snowy pass alone in winter is a practical impossibility for most hikers.
By midnight the result was a practical victory, even though a few votes were still being counted.
文法句型
a practical monopoly / certainty / impossibility
用法筆記
Only used before a noun, and chiefly with abstract nouns like 'certainty', 'monopoly', 'impossibility', 'victory'. Close in meaning to 'virtual' (a virtual monopoly) and to the adverb 'practically' (= almost).
常見錯誤
practical — noun
1. a school or college session — either a lesson or a test — in which students must
a school or college session — either a lesson or a test — in which students must actually do an experiment or task with their hands instead of writing about it.
Maya has a chemistry practical on Friday, so she is reviewing how to use the bunsen burner.
collocation: chemistry / biology practical
Half of our biology grade comes from written exams and half from the practicals in the lab.
plural: practicals
Carlos failed his driving practical the first time because he forgot to check the mirrors.
During the nursing practical, students take a real patient's blood pressure under a teacher's eye.
- lab
American English; refers to a science class with experiments
- practical exam
the test sense; common in both UK and US
- workshop
wider; any hands-on session, not always assessed
- theory paper
the written part of an exam, opposed to the practical
文法句型
a chemistry / biology / driving practical
pass / fail a practical
用法筆記
Mainly British English. American English usually says 'lab' for the lesson and 'practical exam' or 'skills test' for the test. The plural 'practicals' is common in school contexts.