PRACTICAL


Meaning of PRACTICAL in English

I. prac ‧ ti ‧ cal 1 S3 W2 /ˈpræktɪk ə l/ BrE AmE adjective

[ Word Family: noun : ↑ practical , practicalities, ↑ practicality ≠ ↑ impracticality , ↑ practicability ≠ ↑ impracticability ; adverb : ↑ practically ≠ ↑ impractically , ↑ practicably ≠ ↑ impracticably ; adjective : ↑ practicable ≠ ↑ impracticable , ↑ practical ≠ ↑ impractical ]

[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Late Latin ; Origin: practicus , from Greek praktikos , from prassein 'to do' ]

1 . REAL relating to real situations and events rather than ideas, emotions etc ⇨ theoretical :

Candidates should have training and practical experience in basic electronics.

the practical problems of old age

They provide financial and practical help for disabled students.

a combination of theoretical and practical training

They haven’t thought about the practical consequences of the new regulations.

In practical terms, this means spending more time with each student.

2 . EFFECTIVE practical plans, methods etc are likely to succeed or be effective in a situation OPP impractical :

It doesn’t sound like a very practical solution.

a practical way of achieving greater efficiency

Unfortunately, there’s no practical alternative to driving.

a practical guide to buying and selling a house

3 . CLEAR THINKING a practical person is good at dealing with problems and making decisions based on what is possible and what will really work OPP impractical :

She’s a very practical person.

I was very shocked, but tried to be practical and think what to do.

4 . SUITABLE useful or suitable for a particular purpose or situation OPP impractical :

Skirts aren’t very practical in my kind of work.

5 . USING YOUR HANDS good at repairing or making things:

I’m not very practical – I can’t even change a light bulb.

6 . for/to all practical purposes used to say what the real effect of a situation is:

The time you spend on it doesn’t, for all practical purposes, affect the final result.

7 . practical certainty/disaster/sell-out etc something that is almost certain, almost a ↑ disaster etc:

Sampras looks a practical certainty to win Wimbledon this year.

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COLLOCATIONS

■ nouns

▪ practical experience

You have to gain practical experience before you qualify as a solicitor.

▪ practical work

Archaeology students are required to do a certain amount of practical work.

▪ practical problems/difficulties

The local Social Services Department may be able to help with practical problems.

▪ practical help/support ( also practical assistance formal )

There will be trained people available to listen and to provide practical help.

▪ practical advice

The booklets offer clear, practical advice on running your business.

▪ practical use

Knowledge without understanding is of little practical use.

▪ practical considerations

There are a number of practical considerations that must be taken into account when choosing a car.

▪ practical implications

He was well aware of the practical implications of his theory.

■ phrases

▪ in practical terms

In practical terms, the experiment is going to be difficult.

II. practical 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]

[ Word Family: noun : ↑ practical , practicalities, ↑ practicality ≠ ↑ impracticality , ↑ practicability ≠ ↑ impracticability ; adverb : ↑ practically ≠ ↑ impractically , ↑ practicably ≠ ↑ impracticably ; adjective : ↑ practicable ≠ ↑ impracticable , ↑ practical ≠ ↑ impractical ]

British English a lesson or examination in science, cooking etc in which you have to do or make something yourself rather than write or read about it:

a chemistry practical

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THESAURUS

▪ test a set of questions or practical activities, which are intended to find out how much someone knows about a subject or skill:

I have a chemistry test tomorrow.

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Did Lauren pass her driving test?

▪ exam ( also examination formal ) an important test that you do at the end of a course of study or class or at the end of the school year:

He’s upstairs, revising for an exam.

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When do you get your exam results?

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There’s a written examination at the end of the course.

▪ quiz American English a quick test that a teacher gives to a class, usually to check that students are learning the things they should be learning:

We have a math quiz every Monday.

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a pop quiz (=a quiz given by a teacher without any warning)

▪ finals British English the last exams that you take at the end of a British university course:

During my finals I was revising till 3 o'clock in the morning most days.

▪ final American English an important test that you take at the end of a particular class in high school or college:

The English final was pretty hard.

▪ midterm American English an important test that you take in the middle of a term, covering what you have learned in a particular class in high school or college:

He did badly in the midterm.

▪ oral exam ( also oral British English ) an exam in which you answer questions by speaking, instead of writing, for example to test how good you are at speaking a foreign language:

Nicky got an A in her Spanish oral.

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You can either take an oral exam or do a 25 page essay.

▪ practical British English an exam that tests your ability to do or make things, rather than your ability to write about them:

The chemistry practical is on Monday.

▪ mocks/mock exams British English informal tests that you take as practice before the official examinations:

She did well in the mocks.

▪ paper British English a set of printed questions used as an examination in a particular subject, or the answers people write:

The history paper was really difficult.

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The papers are marked by the other teachers.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.