What does "practise" mean?
Obsolete spelling of practice.
Practise
/ˈpɹæktɪs/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Obsolete spelling of practice.
- Grammar: practise is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: drill, practice, rehearse, apply.
- Useful contrasts: abstain, cease, discontinue.
- Usage evidence: In the long run, you will have to practise more.
How to use "practise"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "practise" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "practise" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "practise" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "practise" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "practise" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "drill" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "practise", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Obsolete spelling of practice. alt-of, obsolete, uncountable, usually
"And againe You ſaw that I ſpake to you from Heauen, therefore yee ſhall make no Gods of Golde nor ſiluer: as if he ſhould haue ſaide, my practiſe in ſpeakeing to you by voyce and not by Image ſhoulde teach you that by my word and not by image, I am be remembred."
- 2 Misspelling of practice. alt-of, misspelling, uncountable, usually
Verb
- 1 To repeat (an activity) as a way of improving one's skill in that activity. transitive
"You should practise playing piano every day."
- 2 learn by repetition wordnet
- 3 To repeat an activity in this way. intransitive
"If you want to speak French well, you need to practise."
- 4 engage in a rehearsal (of) wordnet
- 5 To perform or observe in an habitual fashion. transitive
"They gather to practise religion every Saturday."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 carry out or practice; as of jobs and professions wordnet
- 7 To pursue (a career, especially law, fine art or medicine). transitive
"She practised law for forty years before retiring."
- 8 To conspire. intransitive, obsolete
- 9 To put into practice; to carry out; to act upon; to commit; to execute; to do.
"Aught but Talbot's shadow whereon to practise your severity."
- 10 To make use of; to employ.
"In malice to this good knight's wife, I practised Ubaldo and Ricardo to corrupt her."
- 11 To teach or accustom by practice; to train.
"In church they are taught to love God; after church they are practised to love their neighbour."
Antonyms
Example
"In the long run, you will have to practise more."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "practise"?
Common synonyms include: drill, practice, rehearse, apply, do, exercise.
How do you use "practise" in a sentence?
In the long run, you will have to practise more.
How do you pronounce "practise"?
Pronounced /ˈpɹæktɪs/.
Etymology
From Middle English practizen, a variant of practisen, from Middle French pratiser, practiser, from Medieval Latin practizo, from Late Latin practico (“to do, perform, execute, propose, practise, exercise, be conversant with, contrive, conspire, etc.”), from prāctica (“practical affairs", "business”), from Ancient Greek πρᾱκτική (prāktikḗ), from πρᾱκτικός (prāktikós, “practical”), from πρᾱ́σσειν (prā́ssein, “to do”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per(h₂)- (“to go over, cross”).