practically

practically — adverb

1. used to say something is so close to being true, complete, or total that any sma

1.adverbB2
Definition

used to say something is so close to being true, complete, or total that any small difference does not really matter — often with a slight feeling of exaggeration.

Example

By eight o'clock the cinema was practically empty, with only three people left in the back row.

practically + adjective for emphasizing closeness

Lina has lived in Tainan for twenty years, so she knows practically every food stall in the city.

practically + every / all for near-totality

Common collocations
  • practically empty
  • practically every
  • practically nothing
  • practically impossible
  • practically identical
  • practically all
Synonyms
  • almost

    neutral and more common in formal writing

  • nearly

    very close synonym; slightly more measured, less exaggerated

  • virtually

    stronger sense of 'in effect the same as'; common in writing

  • all but

    more literary; usually before an adjective or past participle

Antonyms
  • barely

    describes the opposite end — only just true rather than nearly fully true

Grammar Patterns

practically + adjective

practically + verb

practically + noun phrase

Usage Note

Common before adjectives, quantifiers (every, all, no, none, nothing), and verbs of state or change. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense answers 'how close?' and can be replaced by 'almost'; sense 2 answers 'how?' and means 'in a real-world way'.

Common Mistakes

I have practically finished the report yesterday.
I had practically finished the report by yesterday.
with 'practically' meaning 'almost', use a tense that allows a near-complete state, not a finished past action.

2. by focusing on what actually works in daily life and on real actions, rather tha

2.adverbC1
Definition

by focusing on what actually works in daily life and on real actions, rather than on theories, feelings, or hopes.

Example

Try to think practically about your budget before you book a six-week holiday in Iceland.

think practically about + decision

The course teaches students how to apply economic theories practically in small businesses.

apply + practically

Common collocations
  • think practically
  • apply practically
  • deal practically with
  • approach something practically
Synonyms
  • realistically

    focuses on what is possible given real limits

  • sensibly

    stresses good judgment more than real-world action

  • pragmatically

    more formal; emphasizes results over principles

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

verb + practically

think / speak / approach + practically

Usage Note

Modifies verbs of thinking, planning, teaching, or acting. Often contrasts an idea or feeling with real action — watch for nearby words like 'theory', 'in theory', 'emotionally', or 'on paper'. Distinguish from sense 1: here 'practically' cannot be replaced by 'almost'.

Common Mistakes

She is a practically person who solves problems quickly.
She is a practical person who solves problems quickly.
use the adjective 'practical' before a noun, not the adverb 'practically'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All five words signal that something falls just short of being fully true, but they sit on a register and emphasis ladder. 'Almost' and 'nearly' are the most neutral, fitting both spoken and written English; 'nearly' often feels slightly more measured, 'almost' a touch more conversational. 'Practically' adds a flavour of exaggeration — speakers reach for it when the gap is so small they want to wave it away ('the room was practically empty'). 'Virtually' is stronger and more bookish, suggesting that, for any useful purpose, the thing already counts as true ('the two contracts are virtually identical'). 'All but' is the most literary, usually paired with an adjective or past participle ('all but forgotten'). So a journalist writes 'virtually unchanged', a teenager says 'practically nothing left', and a careful report says 'almost complete'.

practically ↗almost ↗nearly ↗virtually ↗all but

Common collocations

Phrases

  • practically speaking
  • practically every
  • practically all
  • practically nothing
  • practically impossible

Prepositions

  • practically with (sense 2: deal practically with a problem)

Etymology

GreekLatinOld FrenchEnglish

Built on the adjective 'practical' plus the adverb-forming '-ly'. 'Practical' itself reached English in the late 1300s through Old French from Late Latin 'practicalis', which traces back to Greek 'praktikos' meaning 'concerned with action or doing', from the verb 'prassein' ('to do, to act'). The earliest senses of 'practically' described doing something in a real, hands-on way (sense 2). The very common 'almost' meaning (sense 1) developed later, in the 1700s, from the idea that something is true 'in practice if not strictly so'.