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Definition of practicably - 3 dictionary results

prac⋅ti⋅ca⋅ble

[prak-ti-kuh-buhl]
–adjective
1. capable of being done, effected, or put into practice, with the available means; feasible: a practicable solution.
2. capable of being used: a practicable gift.
3. Theater. (of a stage property or part of a set) designed or constructed for actual use; a practicable window; practicable water faucets.

Origin:
1660–70; < ML practic(āre) to practice + -able


prac⋅ti⋅ca⋅bil⋅i⋅ty, prac⋅ti⋅ca⋅ble⋅ness, noun
prac⋅ti⋅ca⋅bly, adverb


1. workable, achievable, attainable. See possible.


1. unfeasible.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To practicably
prac·ti·ca·ble   (prāk'tĭ-kə-bəl)   
adj.  
  1. Capable of being effected, done, or put into practice; feasible. See Synonyms at possible.

  2. Usable for a specified purpose: a practicable way of entry.


[Medieval Latin prācticābilis, capable of being used, from prācticāre, to practice, from prāctica, practice, from Greek prāktikē, practical science, from feminine of prāktikos, fit for action, practical, from prāssein, prāk-, to make, do.]
prac'ti·ca·bil'i·ty n., prac'ti·ca·bly adv.
Usage Note: It is easy to confuse practicable and practical because they look so much alike and overlap in meaning. Practicable means "feasible" as well as "usable," and it cannot be applied to persons. Practical has at least eight meanings, including the sense "capable of being put into effect, useful," wherein the confusion with practicable arises. But there is a subtle distinction between these words that is worth keeping. For the purpose of ordering coffee in a Parisian café, if would be practical (that is, useful) to learn some French, but it still might not be practicable for someone with a busy schedule and little time to learn.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

practicable 
1643 (implied in practicableness), from M.Fr. pratiquable (1594), from pratiquer "to practice," from M.L. practicare "to practice" (see practical).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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