impractical

What it means

1. Not practical; impracticable.

   As traditional exploration of Centralia’s underground is exceedingly impractical and excessively dangerous, the Foundation has chosen to visually document the mine through remote observation.

   2025 August 5, PlaguePJP, J Dune, “SCP-2003”, in SCP Wiki, archived from the original on 29 Jul 2026

   1 more example

   "I can't leave you here alone with these cutthroats, and you certainly can't venture into the jungle with me; yet someone must go in search of your father. He is more than apt to wandering off aimlessly, regardless of danger or direction, and Mr. Philander is only a trifle less impractical than he. ...

   1914, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes

   Antonyms: practical

In a sentence

"I can't leave you here alone with these cutthroats, and you certainly can't venture into the jungle with me; yet someone must go in search of your father. He is more than apt to wandering off aimlessly, regardless of danger or direction, and Mr. Philander is only a trifle less impractical than he. ...

1914, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes

Where it comes from

1. Proto-Indo-European*né
2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
3. Proto-Italic*n̥-
4. Latinin-
5. Middle Englishin-
6. Englishim-
7. Englishpractical
8. Englishimpractical

From im- + practical.