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as in useful
capable of or suitable for being used for a particular purpose that flimsy little saw is not a very practicable tool for cutting heavy tree branches

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective practicable differ from other similar words?

The words feasible and possible are common synonyms of practicable. While all three words mean "capable of being realized," practicable implies that something may be effected by available means or under current conditions.

a solution that is not practicable in the time available

When is feasible a more appropriate choice than practicable?

The words feasible and practicable are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, feasible applies to what is likely to work or be useful in attaining the end desired.

commercially feasible for mass production

In what contexts can possible take the place of practicable?

Although the words possible and practicable have much in common, possible implies that a thing may certainly exist or occur given the proper conditions.

a possible route up the west face of the mountain

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of practicable In Dutch - State/Federal Clinicians must adjudicate claims and remit patient credit balances as soon as practicable. Jeff Gorke, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024 If regulation to stop polluting activity is not practicable, government rather should subsidize activities that mitigate harms. Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 30 Mar. 2025 Penguin Random House Canada provides the Information in an accessible format or with appropriate Communication Supports, as soon as practicable, upon request. Hazlitt, 4 Jan. 2025 Spanish tax breaks hiked at the beginning of 2023, make the financials practicable. John Hopewell, Variety, 27 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for practicable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for practicable
Adjective
  • Many stores also have regional stock based on in-store supply, so be sure to check your local zip code where applicable.
    Lisa Wood Shapiro, Wired News, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Similarly, in a March release, the company said all potential buyers must agree to comply with its privacy policy and applicable law.
    Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • What may have been useful in saurischians, for example, may have been essentially useless — a Mesozoic appendix — in sauropods and theropods.
    Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2025
  • This functionality is particularly useful for artists, content creators, and producers looking for efficient ways to develop custom music while maintaining artistic integrity.
    Rowan Briggs, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Series Methodologies and practical guides for introducing research and scholarship in the classroom.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 21 Apr. 2025
  • And her people immediately rushed to assist her in practical ways.
    Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review, 21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • According to the company, the date the totes will be available in each Trader Joe’s will vary, but shoppers are already lining up at different store locations that have already received the bags.
    Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Just check out all of the other Woot tech deals available now!
    Cierra Cowan, PC Magazine, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Shifting production to the U.S., one of Trump's goals in imposing tariffs on China and almost every other country in the world, is not feasible, says Jami Warner, executive director of the American Christmas Tree Association.
    Andrew Silver and Casey Hall, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
  • In an ideal world, our pets could come everywhere with us—but taking a cat on a two-week vacation to a hot destination isn't exactly feasible.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • While a regional court in Cologne initially recognized four of Birkenstock’s shoe models as works of applied art and granted the company’s orders in 2017, a higher regional court in the city later overturned the orders on appeal in 2022.
    Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 21 Feb. 2025
  • In 1994, the applied mathematician Peter Shor was inspired by a recent oracle result to develop a fast quantum algorithm for factoring large numbers—a task whose apparent difficulty underlies the cryptographic systems that keep our online data secure.
    Ben Brubaker, WIRED, 2 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Practicable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/practicable. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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