practical

[Mid. Eng. practic practice, practical; adj. suff. -al; O. Fr. practique (French pratique ); Port. & Ital. pratico; Spanish practico.] PRACTICE.] Pertaining to, or derived from, practice, use, or employment. Opposed to theoretical, ideal, or speculative. (1) Derived from practice, use, or experience. "His philosophy, which he divided into two parts, namely, speculative and practical." - North: Plutarch, pt. ii., p. 18. (2) Capable of being used, or turned to use or IMG:content-1426.png:[blocks in formation] I. Ordinary Language: 1. The act of doing anything; action, conduct, proceeding. (Usually in a bad sense.) "The anarchical opinions and practices of those sectaries."-Macaulay: Hist . Eng ., ch. xvi. 2. Frequent or customary action; usage, habit, use, custom. ( Milton : Sam . Agon ., 114) 3. The act or habit of practicing or using habitually, regularly, systematically; as, the practice of virtue. 4. The state or condition of being kept in use or practice; customary use. 5. The exercise of any profe ion; as, the practice IMG:content-1427.png:[blocks in formation] 7. The extent of busine carried on by a profe ional man; as, A doctor has a large practice . 8. Method, mode, or art of doing anything; actual performance, as opposed to theory. 9. The application of remedies; medical treat ment of diseases. *10. Dexterity or skill acquired by use; experience. ( Shakesp .: Much Ado , v.1.) *11. Skillful or artful management; dexterity, art, artfulne , stratagem, craft, artifice. (Generally in a bad sense.) "He sought to have that by practice , which he could not by prayer."- Sidney : Arcadia . IMG:content-1428.png:[blocks in formation] *11. To make practicable or pa able. "A hole in the Residency wall practiced by the pickax of a sapper."- London Daily Telegraph . B. Intransitive: 1. To do or perform certain acts habitually or frequently for improvement, instruction, or profit; to exercise one's self; as, to practice with a rifle. 2. To form or acquire a habit of acting in any way. " Practice first over yourself to reign."- Waller . 3. To follow or exercise a profe ion or art; as, to practice medicine, law, . 4. To make experiments; to experimentalize. "I never thought I should try a new experiment, being little inclined to practice upon others." -Temple: Miscel lantes. *5. To negotiate secretly. (Add is on: Cato, ii.) *6. To use stratagems or art; to plot. "He will practice against thee by poison." Shakesp .: As You Like It, i. 1, prăc-tiçed, prăc'-tised, pa . par . & a . [PRAC TICE.] A. As pa . par .: (See the verb.) B. As adjective : 1. Used habitually; learned or acquired by practice or use. ( Cowper : Task , ii. 431.) 2. Having acquired skill or dexterity by practice or use; experienced; as, a practiced fencer. prăc-tiç-er, prăc-tis-er, *prac-tis-our, *prac-tys-er, s. [Eng. practic (e); -er.] 1. One who practices any act or acts; one who habitually or frequently performs any act; one who not merely profe es but puts in practice. "The profe ors and practicers of an higher philosophy."-South: Sermons, vol. iv., ser. 11. 2. One who practices or follows a profe ion; a practitioner. "Sweet practicer, thy physick I will try." Shakesp.: All's Well that Ends Well, ii. 1. *3. One who contrives plots or stratagems; a plotter.