practicality

nounB2+Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #13,546 of 15,258leans written

Other forms: practicalities

Practicality is the quality of being useful and workable. The practicality of the plan, questions of practicality, practicality over style.

In the plural it means the details that have to be arranged, so discussing the practicalities is what happens after everybody has agreed in principle. It is where most agreements quietly fall apart.

Definitions of practicality

1nounpracticalityThe quality of being useful and workable.B2+
“White sofas look lovely, but with small children their practicality is doubtful.”

practicality is a quality.

Where it comes from

Proto-Indo-European
*per- (fare)
Medieval Latin
practicālis
Middle English
practical
English
practical
English, today
practicality

From practical + -ity. practical comes from Middle English practical, practicale, praktycall, from Medieval Latin practicālis.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

practicality in the wild

There is a technical difference between the status of commune and city, but this is limited in practicality.
List of cities in Luxembourg
People throughout history have shaved all or part of their heads for diverse reasons including aesthetics, convenience, culture, fashion, practicality, punishment, a rite of passage, religion, or style.
Head shaving
A professional television studio generally has several rooms, which are kept separate for noise and practicality reasons.
Television studio
By the late 19th century, discussions arose regarding whether women should wear open or closed drawers, reflecting evolving attitudes toward modesty and practicality.
Open drawers
The book has gained a special place due to the narrative and artistic practicality established by the novel.
Alikhit

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

the practicālis family

practical

practicality — used about once every 23,598 pages · #13,546 · point at the bar for the others

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