Practical, a. [L. practicus active, Gr. fit for doing or performing, practical, active, fr. to do, work, effect: cf. F. pratique, formerly also practique. Cf. Pragmatic, Practice.].

Of or pertaining to practice or action. [1913 Webster]
Capable of being turned to use or account; useful, in distinction from ideal or theoretical; as, practical chemistry. [1913 Webster]
Evincing practice or skill; capable of applying knowledge to some useful end; as, a practical man; a practical mind. [1913 Webster]
Derived from practice; as, practical skill. [1913 Webster]

Practical joke, a joke put in practice; a joke the fun of which consists in something done, in distinction from something said; esp., a trick played upon a person.

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

Practical, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 of or concerned with practice or use rather than theory.
2 suited to use or action; designed mainly to fulfil a function (practical shoes).
3 (of a person) inclined to action rather than speculation; able to make things function well.
4 a that is such in effect though not nominally (for all practical purposes). b virtual (in practical control).
5 feasible; concerned with what is actually possible (practical politics).
--n. a practical examination or lesson.

Idiom

practical joke a humorous trick played on a person. practical joker a person who plays practical jokes.

Derivative

practicality n. (pl. -ies). practicalness n.

Etymology

earlier practic f. obs. F practique or LL practicus f. Gk praktikos f. prasso do, act

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THESAURUS

Practical

achievable, actable, adaptable, advantageous, appliable, applicable, applied, appropriate, attainable, balanced, banausic, beneficial, breadwinning, businesslike, commercial, commodious, commonsense, compassable, compliant, constructive, convenient, cool, coolheaded, doable, down-to-earth, ductile, earthy, effective, effectual, efficacious, efficient, empirical, employable, everyday, expedient, exploitable, feasible, field, fitting, flexible, foolproof, functional, go, good for, handy, hard, hard-boiled, hard-nosed, hardheaded, helpful, hoaxproof, judicious, levelheaded, logical, malleable, manageable, maneuverable, manipulable, manipulatable, materialistic, matter-of-fact, moneymaking, mundane, negotiable, not born yesterday, of general utility, of help, of service, of use, old, old-time, operable, operatable, operational, operative, ordinary, overcomable, performable, personal, philosophical, pliable, pliant, positivistic, practicable, practical-minded, practiced, pragmatic, pragmatical, proper, prosaic, rational, realist, realistic, realizable, reasonable, reusable, sane, scientific, scientistic, seasoned, secular, sensible, serviceable, skilled, sober, sober-minded, sophisticated, sound, sound-thinking, straight-thinking, superable, surmountable, tough-minded, tractable, uncullible, undeceivable, undeludable, undupable, unfoolable, ungullible, unhoaxable, unideal, unidealistic, unromantic, unseduceable, unsentimental, untroublesome, usable, useable, useful, utilitarian, utilizable, versed, vet, veteran, viable, virtual, well-balanced, wieldable, wieldy, wise, workable, workaday, workday, working, worldly, yielding

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ROGET THESAURUS

Practical

Conduct

N conduct, behavior, deportment, comportment, carriage, maintien, demeanor, guise, bearing, manner, observance, dealing, transaction, business, tactics, game, game plan, policy, polity, generalship, statesmanship, seamanship, strategy, strategics, plan, management, husbandry, housekeeping, housewifery, stewardship, menage, regime, economy, economics, political economy, government, execution, manipulation, treatment, campaign, career, life, course, walk, race, record, course of conduct, line of conduct, line of action, line of proceeding, role, process, ways, practice, procedure, modus operandi, MO, method of operating, method, path, conducting, strategical, businesslike, practical, executive.

Agency

N agency, operation, force, working, strain, function, office, maintenance, exercise, work, swing, play, interworking, interaction, procurement, causation, instrumentality, influence, action, modus operandi, quickening power, maintaining power, sustaining power, home stroke, operative, efficient, efficacious, practical, effectual, at work, on foot, acting, in operation, in force, in action, in play, in exercise, acted upon, wrought upon, by the agency of through, by means of, I myself must mix with action lest I wither by des.

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