practise

practise — verb

1. to repeat an activity many times so that your ability improves — for example, pr

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA2
Definition

to repeat an activity many times so that your ability improves — for example, practising the violin every day before a concert, or practising a dance routine until you remember every step without thinking.

Example

Liang practises the piano for an hour every evening before dinner.

practise + instrument noun phrase

The choir meets twice a week to practise songs for the spring concert.

practise + songs (object is the thing being prepared)

Common collocations
  • practise + instrument (piano, guitar, violin)
  • practise + skill (writing, speaking, shooting)
  • practise + sport skill (free throws, passing, serves)
  • practise for + event (exam, concert, match)
  • practise + verb-ing (practise singing, practising driving)
Synonyms
  • rehearse

    Specifically for preparing a performance (play, speech, concert) rather than general skill-building

  • train

    Focuses on building physical or mental ability over time, often with a coach or plan

  • drill

    Repeating the same short routine until it becomes automatic, common in military or classroom settings

Antonyms
  • neglect

    To fail to give enough attention to something that needs improvement

  • skip

    To deliberately miss a practice session or not do the activity

Grammar Patterns

practise + noun phrase (practise the piano)

practise + verb-ing (practise speaking English)

practise (alone, intransitive) (The team practises on Tuesdays.)

Usage Note

In British English the verb is spelled practise and the noun is practice. In American English both the verb and noun are spelled practice.

Common Mistakes

I need to practice my English.' (British English spelling).
I need to practise my English.
In British English, practise is the verb and practice is the noun; learners often confuse the spellings.
She practised the exam last night.
She practised for the exam last night.
You practise the activity itself (practise the piano) but you practise for an event (practise for the exam).

2. to do the work of a skilled profession that requires a special qualification and

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to do the work of a skilled profession that requires a special qualification and official permission to operate — for example, a doctor practising medicine at the county hospital, or a lawyer practising law in a small firm in Tainan.

Example

Dr. Adina Chen has practised medicine at the city hospital for over fifteen years.

After the bar exam, Andrew plans to practise law at a small firm in Taichung.

practise + law (profession noun)

Common collocations
  • practise medicine
  • practise law
  • practise dentistry
  • practise architecture
  • practise psychology
  • practise veterinary medicine
Synonyms
  • work as

    More general; works for any job, not just licensed professions

  • be engaged in

    More formal, used in official contexts (be engaged in the practice of law)

  • pursue

    Emphasises the career path rather than the daily work

Grammar Patterns

practise + profession (medicine / law / dentistry / architecture)

Usage Note

This sense is used almost exclusively with a profession noun (medicine, law, dentistry, architecture, psychology, veterinary medicine). It is NOT used for general jobs such as teaching, engineering, or nursing, even though those also require training.

Common Mistakes

She practises as a teacher.
She practises as a doctor.
This sense is reserved for licensed professions that require formal accreditation; teaching is not referred to with practise in this way.
He practises lawer.
He practises law.
The noun after practise must be the profession name itself (law, medicine), not the person noun (lawyer, doctor).

3. to make a particular activity a regular part of your life, especially because of

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to make a particular activity a regular part of your life, especially because of your beliefs, culture, or personal rules — for example, a family that practises vegetarianism for religious reasons, or a community that practises traditional weaving methods that have been handed down for centuries.

Example

The Wang family practises vegetarianism as part of their Buddhist beliefs.

Yasmin practises meditation for ten minutes every morning to start her day calmly.

practise + meditation (belief-linked habit)

Common collocations
  • practise a religion / faith
  • practise vegetarianism / veganism
  • practise meditation / yoga / tai chi
  • practise a custom / tradition / ritual
  • practise honesty / patience / gratitude
Synonyms
  • observe

    Slightly more formal; common for religious or legal customs (observe Ramadan, observe the rules)

  • follow

    More general; works for rules, beliefs, or traditions without the sense of active repetition

  • adhere to

    Formal; emphasises strict and consistent compliance with beliefs or rules

Antonyms
  • abandon

    To stop following a custom, belief, or practice entirely

  • give up

    Less formal; to stop doing something that was a regular practice

Grammar Patterns

practise + belief/activity noun (practise Buddhism, practise yoga)

practise + verb-ing (practise meditation, practise giving to charity)

Usage Note

The activity named after practise in this sense is typically meaningful in a cultural, spiritual, or ethical way. Unlike sense 1 (repeated to improve), the point here is about regular observance, not skill development. Unlike sense 2, the object is a custom or belief, not a profession.

Common Mistakes

I practise eating breakfast every day.
I practise meditation every day.
This sense is used for meaningful, culturally or personally significant activities, not for mundane daily routines.
They practise the Christian religion.
They practise Christianity.
The object should be the belief or practice itself, not the word 'religion' after a descriptor.
Idioms

practise what you preach

idiom

to behave in the way that you advise or tell other people to behave — in other words, to follow your own advice and set a good example.

The manager always tells his staff to arrive on time, so he should practise what he preaches.

Parents who practise what they preach build more trust with their children than parents who just give orders.

Word family

  • practice
    nounA2
  • practitioner
    nounB2
  • practised
    adjectiveB2
  • practising
    adjectiveB2
  • practical
    adjectiveB1
  • practically
    adverbB1
  • practicability
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Practise is the broadest word — you can practise any skill or activity, from piano scales to first aid drills. Rehearse is narrower: it means practising specifically for a performance (a play, a speech, a concert) and focuses on preparing for a particular event rather than building general ability. Train emphasises developing fitness or skill over a longer period, often with a coach or structured programme; athletes train for months before a competition. Drill means repeating a short, specific routine until it becomes automatic — common in military settings, sports warm-ups, or language classrooms. For example, a musician practises scales every day, rehearses with the orchestra the night before the concert, trains with a conductor in technique workshops, and drills tricky passages ten times in a row.

practiserehearsetraindrill

Common collocations

Nouns

  • skill
  • routine
  • technique
  • profession

Adverbs

  • regularly
  • daily
  • diligently
  • professionally

Phrases

  • practise what you preach

Prepositions

  • for (practise for an exam)
  • as (practise as a doctor)
  • in (practise in a clinic)
  • with (practise with a coach)

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word comes from Old French 'practiser', from Medieval Latin 'practicare' (to do, to perform), which traces back to Greek 'praktikē' (practical work, action). The verb form appeared in English in the early 1400s. The modern spelling distinction — verb 'practise' vs noun 'practice' — developed in British English during the 18th century, though American English uses 'practice' for both. The sense of 'repeated exercise to improve' emerged in the 1500s, and the professional sense (practise medicine) appeared around the same period.