practice

English Online Dictionary. What means practice‎? What does practice mean?

English

Etymology

The noun is from Middle English practice, practique, practyse, from the verb; also compare Medieval Latin prāctica.

The verb is from Middle English practice, practise, practize, practyse, from Middle French pratiser, practiser, alteration of practiquer, from Medieval Latin prācticāre, from Late Latin prācticus, from Ancient Greek πρακτικός (praktikós).

The spelling practice is attested once in Middle English for both the noun and the verb. The noun began to be assimilated in spelling to nouns in -ice; practise (noun) is now obsolete.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɹæktɪs/
• Rhymes: -æktɪs

Noun

practice (usually uncountable, plural practices)

1. Repetition of an activity to improve a skill.

   Synonyms: rehearsal, drill, dry run, exercise, training, trial, workout

2. An organized event for the purpose of performing such repetition.

3. (uncountable, especially medicine, art) The ongoing pursuit of a craft or profession, particularly in medicine or the fine arts.
4. (countable) A place where a professional service is provided, such as a general practice.

   Synonym: general practice

5. The observance of religious duties that a church requires of its members.
6. A customary action, habit, or behaviour; a manner or routine.

   Synonyms: custom, habit, pattern, routine, wont, wone
7. Actual operation or experiment, in contrast to theory.

   Antonym: theory

8. (law) The form, manner, and order of conducting and carrying on suits and prosecutions through their various stages, according to the principles of law and the rules laid down by the courts.

9. Skilful or artful management; dexterity in contrivance or the use of means; stratagem; artifice.
10. (mathematics) An easy and concise method of applying the rules of arithmetic to questions which occur in trade and business.

Usage notes

• British, Australian, and New Zealand English spelling distinguishes between practice (noun) and practise (verb), analogously with advice/advise. In American English, the spelling practice is commonly used for both noun and verb. Both practices are found equally in Canadian English.

Alternative forms

• practise (obsolete)

Derived terms

Related terms

Collocations

Translations

Verb

practice (third-person singular simple present practices, present participle practicing, simple past and past participle practiced)

1. (now US) Alternative spelling of practise

Derived terms

References

Further reading

• “practice”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• practice in Britannica Dictionary
• practice in Macmillan Collocations Dictionary
• practice in Ozdic collocation dictionary
• practice in WordReference English Collocations
• practice on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈprak.tɪ.kɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈprak.t̪i.t͡ʃe]

Adjective

prāctice

1. vocative masculine singular of prācticus