practice
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Alternative spellings
- (Commonwealth) practise (used only for the verb)
[edit] Etymology
See practise.
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
practice (plural practices)
- Repetition of an activity to improve skill.
- He will need lots of practice with those lines before he performs them.
- The ongoing pursuit of a craft or profession, particularly in medicine or the fine arts.
- She ran a thriving medical practice.
- The observance of religious duties which a Church requires of its members.
- A customary action, habit, or behavior; a manner or routine.
- It is the usual practice of employees there to wear neckties only when meeting with customers.
- It is good practice to check each door and window before leaving.
- Actual operation or experiment, in contrast to theory.
- That may work in theory, but will it work in practice?
[edit] Usage notes
British, Canadian and Australian English distinguish between practice (a noun) and practise (a verb), analogously with advice/advise. In American English, practice is commonly used for both forms.
[edit] Synonyms
- (improvement of skill): rehearsal, drill, exercise, training, workout
- (customary action): custom, habit, routine, wont
- fashion
- pattern
- trick
- way
- dry
- run
- trial
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Related terms
[edit] Translations
repetition of an activity to improve skill
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an ongoing pursuit of a craft or profession
an observance of religious duties
customary action, habit, or behavior
actual operation or experiment, in contrast to theory
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
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[edit] Verb
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Infinitive |
Third person singular |
Simple past |
Past participle |
Present participle |
to practice (third-person singular simple present practices, present participle practicing, simple past and past participle practiced)
- (transitive, US) To repeat (an activity) as a way of improving one's skill in that activity.
- You should practice playing piano every day.
- (intransitive, US) To repeat an activity in this way.
- If you want to speak French well, you need to practice.
- (transitive, US) To perform or observe in a habitual fashion.
- They gather to practice religion every Saturday.
- (transitive, US) To pursue (a career, especially law, fine art or medicine).
- She practiced law for forty years before retiring.
- (intransitive, archaic, US) To conspire.
- Alternative spelling of practise.
[edit] Usage notes
- In sense "to repeat an activity as a way improving one's skill" this is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing). See Appendix:English catenative verbs
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
(US) to repeat an activity as a way of improving one's skill
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to perform or execute a craft or skill
to perform or observe in a habitual fashion
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to pursue (a career, especially law, fine art or medicine)
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
