Word
impractical
Phoneticsim·prac·ti·cal
US/ˌɪmˈpɹæktəkəɫ/
UK/ɪmpɹˈæktɪkəl/
Definition
adj. not sensible or realistic to do in a real situation. You use this to describe ideas or objects that are difficult to use or carry out.
adj. not sensible or realistic; difficult to implement or maintain in practice. Often describes ideas, plans, or physical objects that lack utility in a specific context.
Examples
“High heels are impractical for a long walk in the park.”
“The architect's design was beautiful, but the glass roof proved impractical because it made the building too hot.”
“While the theoretical model was flawless, the sheer volume of data required made it impractical for real-time applications in the field.”
Examples
simple
“High heels are impractical for a long walk in the park.”
contextual
“The architect's design was beautiful, but the glass roof proved impractical because it made the building too hot.”
complex
“While the theoretical model was flawless, the sheer volume of data required made it impractical for real-time applications in the field.”
Usage
Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'be', 'seem', or 'prove'.
Real-World Examples
“The central question is whether spacecraft could reach these asteroids, extract useful materials, and transport them to Mars without consuming so much energy and fuel that the entire effort becomes impractical.” “Gentle, impractical dreamers like Toño, he seems to be saying, bring their own kind of changes into the world.” Etymology
From im- + practical.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/impractical