Practically

How to spell practically

11 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce practically

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does practically mean?

1. adverbAlmost or very nearly; for all practical purposes.
2. adverbIn a way concerned with real action and usefulness rather than theory.

Practically in a sentence

• The repairs are practically finished, with only the paint left to dry.

• She approached the budget practically, focusing on what the team could actually afford.

• The old laptop is practically worthless now that the screen is cracked.

• The manual explains the rules clearly and practically.

Where does practically come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This word traces back to the Greek praktikos, meaning 'concerned with action' or 'fit for doing', which itself grew from prassein, the verb 'to do' or 'to accomplish'. The sense passed into Late Latin as practicus and then into Old French, arriving in English in the late Middle Ages through the noun and adjective 'practic'. By the 1500s English had the adjective 'practical', meaning relating to action rather than theory, and the adverb 'practically' was formed by adding the familiar -ly ending. The everyday sense 'almost, very nearly' developed later, treating something as good as accomplished in practice. The spelling trap lives in the middle: the stem is 'practical' (with the -al fully written), so the adverb keeps -cal- before adding -ly, giving the easily mangled -ically cluster.

How the word is built

• practic- (from Greek praktikos: concerned with action, doing)
• -al (adjective suffix)
• -ly (adverb suffix)