practical

Universal Words adjective, noun adjective connected with real things 1 connected with real situations rather than with ideas or theories: to have gained practical experience of the work * practical advice / help / support * practical problems / difficulties * There are some obvious practical applications of the research. * In practical terms, it means spending less. * From a practical point of view, it isn't a good place to live. compareTHEORETICAL likely to work 2 (of an idea, a method or a course of action) right or sensible; likely to be successful SYNWORKABLE: It wouldn't be practical for us to go all that way just for the weekend. * It was difficult to find a practical solution to the problem. OPPIMPRACTICAL useful 3 (of things) useful or suitable: a practical little car, ideal for the city * Cool, loose-fitting clothes are practical in a hot climate. OPPIMPRACTICAL sensible 4 (of a person) sensible and realistic: Let's be practical and work out the cost first. OPPIMPRACTICAL good at making things 5 (of a person) good at making or repairing things: Bob's very practical. He does all the odd jobs around the house. almost total 6 [onlybeforenoun] almost complete or total SYNVIRTUAL: She married a practical stranger. * They're a practical certainty to win the game. IDIOMS for (all) practical purposes used when you are stating what the reality of a situation is: There's still another ten minutes of the game to go, but for practical purposes it's already over. noun (BrE, informal) a lesson or an exam in science or technology in which students have to do or make things, not just read or write about them: a biology practical * The second part of the exam is a three-hour practical.