practise

English

Alternative forms

• practice (standard for noun but incorrect for verb outside US; almost universal for both in American English)

Etymology

From Middle English practizen, a variant of practisen, from Middle French pratiser, practiser, from Medieval Latin practizo, from Late Latin practico (“to do, perform, execute, propose, practise, exercise, be conversant with, contrive, conspire, etc.”), from prāctica (“practical affairs", "business”), from Ancient Greek πρακτική (praktikḗ), from πρακτικός (praktikós, “practical”), from πράσσειν (prássein, “to do”)

Pronunciation

• enPR: prăkʹtĭs, IPA^(key): /ˈpɹæktɪs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

practise (third-person singular simple present practises, present participle practising, simple past and past participle practised)

1. (transitive, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland) To repeat as a way of improving one's skill in that activity.

   You should practise playing piano every day.

2. (intransitive, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland) To repeat an activity in this way.

   If you want to speak French well, you need to practise.

3. (transitive, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland) To perform or observe in a habitual fashion.

   They gather to practise religion every Saturday.

4. (transitive, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland) To pursue (a career, especially law, fine art or medicine).

   She practised law for forty years before retiring.

5. (intransitive, obsolete, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland) To conspire.
6. To put into practice; to carry out; to act upon; to commit; to execute; to do.
   • Shakespeare

     Aught but Talbot's shadow whereon to practise your severity.

   • Alexander Pope

     As this advice ye practise or neglect.

7. To make use of; to employ.
   • Massinger

     In malice to this good knight's wife, I practised Ubaldo and Ricardo to corrupt her.

8. To teach or accustom by practice; to train.
   • Landor

     In church they are taught to love God; after church they are practised to love their neighbour.

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

Derived terms

• practised
• practising

Related terms

• practic
• practicable
• practical
• practice
• practitioner

Translations

practice — see practice

External links

• practise in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• practise in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Anagrams

• crispate, picrates