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practice

n. C / U
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈpɹæktəs// UK //pɹˈæktɪs// prac·tice Archaic General-service

n. doing an activity many times so you can get better at it. It can also mean the usual way people do something or a doctor's office.

n. the actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method, as opposed to theories about it; also, the repeated performance of an activity to improve proficiency.


SIMPLE

I need more practice before the piano concert.

CONTEXTUAL

The young lawyer joined a private practice to gain experience in family law and litigation.

COMPLEX

While the theory of the new management style sounds promising, putting it into practice across a global corporation requires significant cultural adjustments and staff training.

Synonyms
Origin

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.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the general habit of training; countable when referring to a specific business or a repeated session.

Pitfall

I need to practice my EnglishI need to practise my EnglishIn British English, 'practice' is the noun and 'practise' is the verb; American English uses 'practice' for both.

Idioms1 entry

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