German word

praktisch

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈpʁaktɪʃ/

Meaning

  • adverbalmost

Example

Das ist praktisch unmöglich.

That is almost impossible.

Illustration for praktisch (almost)

More examples

Er hat praktisch keine Zeit.

He has almost no time.

Core concept

A real-world result is close enough to a limit to count as nearly that way, while the same word can describe what works in practice.

Common phrases

  • praktisch keine Zeit

    almost no time

  • praktisch jeder

    almost everyone

Similar words

fast: Only a small gap remains before the condition is met.
beinahe: The condition is on the verge of becoming true.
quasi: Practically equivalent in substance rather than strictly identical.
nahezu: Almost meeting the condition in formal-sounding usage.

Definition in German

Praktisch (Adv.) heißt 'so gut wie' beziehungsweise 'nahezu' und dient oft als knappe Einschätzung; in der gesprochenen Sprache kann es auch die Bedeutung von 'eigentlich/tatsächlich' annehmen.

Word origin

The German adjective praktisch comes from Latin practicus, ultimately from Greek praktikos, and its adverbial use extends practical reality to near-equivalence.

Usage tips

  • As an adverb, praktisch stays unchanged in phrases such as 'praktisch unmöglich', while as an adjective it takes normal endings, as in 'eine praktische Lösung'.

Other meanings

  • in practiceadverb
  • practicaladjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word