Advertisement

View synonyms for

practice

British, ·پ

[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:
  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. Archaic.Usually practices. intrigues; plots.



verb (used with object)

practiced, practicing 
  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)

practiced, practicing 
  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

/ ˈæɪ /

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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. the US spelling of practise

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Other Word Forms

  • practicer noun
  • mispractice noun
  • nonpractice noun
  • outpractice verb (used with object)
  • overpractice verb (used with object)
  • prepractice verb
  • repractice verb (used with object)
Discover More

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 峦پ, alteration of 峦پ, derivative of 峦پ “practical work,” from Greek پḗ, noun use of feminine of پó; noun derivative of the verb; practic ( def. ), -ize ( def. )
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of practice1

C16: from Medieval Latin پ to practise, from Greek پŧ practical science, practical work, from prattein to do, act
Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idioms beginning with practice, also see in practice; make a practice of; out of practice; put into practice; sharp practice.
Discover More

Synonym Study

See custom. See exercise.
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Had Flanagan taken King’s you-only-live-once theme and presented reasonable, modern ways to put it into practice, “The Life of Chuck” might not feel like such a void of meaning.

From

It has the same bustling feeling that envelops SW19, with fans queueing at the merchandise stalls or craning their necks at the practice courts for a glimpse of the players.

From

She has said she wants to continue until she has played doubles with eldest daughter Charlotte, who often hits with her on the practice court at tournaments.

From

“Every practice was a grind. Every day has been a grind. He’s keeping us held to a higher standard.”

From

“We’re going through this squeezing of our ecosystem in Hollywood,” said J. Christopher Hamilton, a practicing entertainment attorney and a professor at Syracuse University who focuses on the business of media.

From

Advertisement

Discover More

When To Use

’s the difference between practice and practise?

In British English (and many other international varieties of English), the spelling practice is used when the word is a noun, while the spelling practise is used when it’s a verb. In American English, the spelling practice is always used, regardless of whether the word is used as a verb or a noun.This is somewhat similar to the difference in spelling between advice (noun) and advise (verb)—a distinction that’s used in both British and American English.However, unlike advice and advise, practice and practise are always pronounced the same.Here is an example of how practice and practise would be used in the same sentence in British English.Example: Remember, practice makes perfect—the more you practise, the better you will get. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between practice and practise.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


practical reasonpracticed