Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - practical

~1 adj 1 »CONCERNED WITH REAL SITUATIONS« concerned with real situations and events rather than ideas  (How much practical experience do you have of working with computers? | a practical knowledge of simple medicine | Most of the things you learn at school have no practical value in the real world.)  (- compare theoretical) 2 »SENSIBLE« sensible and basing your decisions on what is possible and what will really work  (Be practical! We can't afford the car and the vacation!)  (- opposite impractical (1)) 3 »LIKELY TO WORK« practical plans, methods, advice etc are likely to succeed or be effective in a situation  (The only practical solution is to sell the company. | The agency provides practical advice and support to pregnant teenagers. | practical alternative (=another way of doing something that is likely to work))  (- opposite impractical (1)) 4 »USEFUL« designed to be useful rather than attractive  (Majorie always gets us practical Christmas presents - last year we got a kettle.) 5 »SUITABLE« suitable for a particular purpose or for normal life  (I always wanted a Ferrari, but it's not a very practical car. | Jeans would be the most practical thing to wear.)  (- opposite impractical (1)) 6 »GOOD AT REPAIRING/MAKING THINGS« good at repairing or making things  (I'm not very practical - I don't know the first thing about cars.) 7 a practical certainty/disaster/sell-out etc something that is almost certain, almost a disaster etc  (Sampras looks a practical certainty to win Wimbledon this year.) 8 for/to all practical purposes used when saying what the real effect of a situation is  (For all practical purposes the federation no longer exists.) ~2 n BrE a lesson or examination in science, cooking etc in which you have to do or make something yourself rather than write or read about it  (We have chemistry practicals after Christmas.)