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View synonyms for practice

practice

[ prak-tis ]

noun

  1. habitual or customary performance; operation:

    office practice.

  2. habit; custom:

    It is not the practice here for men to wear long hair.

  3. repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency:

    Practice makes perfect.

    Synonyms: application

  4. condition arrived at by experience or exercise:

    She refused to play the piano, because she was out of practice.

  5. the action or process of performing or doing something:

    to put a scheme into practice;

    the shameful practices of a blackmailer.

  6. the exercise or pursuit of a profession or occupation, especially law or medicine:

    She plans to set up practice in her hometown.

  7. the business of a professional person:

    The doctor wanted his daughter to take over his practice when he retired.

  8. Law. the established method of conducting legal proceedings.
  9. Archaic. plotting; intrigue; trickery.
  10. Usually practices. Archaic. intrigues; plots.


verb (used with object)

, prac·ticed, prac·tic·ing.
  1. to perform or do habitually or usually:

    to practice a strict regimen.

  2. to follow or observe habitually or customarily:

    to practice one's religion.

  3. to exercise or pursue as a profession, art, or occupation:

    to practice law.

  4. to perform or do repeatedly in order to acquire skill or proficiency:

    to practice the violin.

  5. to train or drill (a person, animal, etc.) in something in order to give proficiency.

verb (used without object)

, prac·ticed, prac·tic·ing.
  1. to do something habitually or as a practice.
  2. to pursue a profession, especially law or medicine.
  3. to exercise oneself by repeated performance in order to acquire skill:

    to practice at shooting.

  4. Archaic. to plot or conspire.

practice

/ ˈpræktɪs /

noun

  1. a usual or customary action or proceeding

    it was his practice to rise at six

    he made a practice of stealing stamps

  2. repetition or exercise of an activity in order to achieve mastery and fluency
  3. the condition of having mastery of a skill or activity through repetition (esp in the phrases in practice, out of practice )
  4. the exercise of a profession

    he set up practice as a lawyer

  5. the act of doing something

    he put his plans into practice

  6. the established method of conducting proceedings in a court of law


verb

  1. the US spelling of practise

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Other Words From

  • practic·er noun
  • mis·practice noun verb mispracticed mispracticing
  • non·practice noun
  • outpractice verb (used with object) outpracticed outpracticing
  • over·practice verb (used with object) overpracticed overpracticing
  • pre·practice verb prepracticed prepracticing
  • re·practice verb (used with object) repracticed repracticing

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Word History and Origins

Origin of practice1

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English verb practisen, practizen, from Middle French pra(c)tiser, from Medieval Latin prāctizāre, alteration of prācticāre, derivative of prāctica “practical work,” from Greek prāktikḗ, noun use of feminine of prāktikós; noun derivative of the verb; practic ( def ), -ize ( def )

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Word History and Origins

Origin of practice1

C16: from Medieval Latin practicāre to practise, from Greek praktikē practical science, practical work, from prattein to do, act

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Idioms and Phrases

  • in practice
  • make a practice of
  • out of practice
  • put into practice
  • sharp practice

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Synonym Study

See custom. See exercise.

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Example Sentences

As a means of preventing tooth decay in those cities that do fluoridate, the practice certainly looks like a success.

Back in New York, the slow pace and inward focus of her yoga practice was less fulfilling.

The men use the dolls to practice the basics of caring for babies.

But in 1969, a longstanding practice was challenged—its ban on women.

DeCrow would come to lead a movement against this practice, suing the Hotel Syracuse in 1969 and calling for protests and sit-ins.

Many so-called "humming tones" are given for practice, but in accepting them observe whether the foregoing principle is obeyed.

Selections for practice should be chosen which contain much variety of thought and feeling and are smooth in movement.

In connection with this step the practice of melodies is useful, if one has musical taste.

In practice we find a good deal of technical study comes into the college stage.

It is clear, therefore, that the reserve reduction contemplated by the act will not be realized in practice.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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