practicable

P3R1A1C3T1I1C3A1B3L1E1
/ˈpɹæktɪkəbəl/

adjective

Capable of being accomplished; feasible.

Less commonScrabble 19

Meanings

adjectivepracticable (not comparable)

alternative practiceable · alternative rare practisable · alternative rare practiseable

  1. not comparableCapable of being accomplished; feasible.

    The law in most states says that cyclists must ride as far to the right as is practicable.

    1986, Fred Matheny, Solo Cycling: How to Train and Race Bicycle Time Trials, page 136
    4 more examples

    Those who have concerned themselves exclusively with what seemed practicable in the existing state of opinion have constantly found that even this has rapidly become politically impossible as the result of changes in a public opinion which they have done nothing to guide.

    1949, F. A. Hayek, “The Intellectuals and Socialism”, in University of Chicago Law Review, volume 16, number 3, Chicago: University of Chicago, →DOI, page 433

    This sober and unflinching analysis should be read and reckoned with by anyone concerned with practicable change in the long-suffering region.

    2010 September 13, Publishers Weekly, Gaza in Crisis: Reflections on Israel's War Against the Palestinians

    “The player should usually be able to play more quickly than that and is encouraged to do so,” the guidelines state, with golfers that exceed 40 seconds – AKA “bad time” – “informed as soon as practicable” by a tournament official.

    2023 May 4, Jack Bantock, “Tee-k Tock: The ‘appalling’ slow play controversy riling golf’s biggest stars”, in CNN

    Monday’s executive order called on the secretary of state and director of the Office of Management and Budget to pause funding “with all practicable speed.”

    2025 January 21, Christian Edwards, “What is the World Health Organization and why does Trump want to leave it?”, in CNN

    Synonyms: feasible, workable

  2. not comparableServing a useful function; useful, functional or handy.
  3. not comparableAvailable for use; accessible or employable.

    I glanced up, — there was no trap door which led to the roof. No practicable nook or cranny, in which a living being could lie concealed, was anywhere at hand.

    1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveCapable of being accomplished; feasible.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveusable for a specific purpose

adjectivecapable of being done with means at hand and circumstances as they are

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Frenchpraticable
  2. Latinprācticābilis
  3. Englishpracticable

Borrowed from Latin prācticābilis, partly modelled on Middle French praticable. By surface analysis, practice (verb) + -able.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian изпълним, осъществим
  • изпълним (izpălnim)capable of being accomplished
  • осъществим (osăštestvim)capable of being accomplished
  • приложим (priložim)serving a useful function; functional or handy
  • използваем (izpolzvaem)available for use; accessible or employable
Catalan practicable, funcional
  • practicablecapable of being accomplished
  • funcionalserving a useful function; functional or handy
Dutch doenbaar, uitvoerbaar
  • doenbaarcapable of being accomplished
  • uitvoerbaarcapable of being accomplished
  • werkbaarcapable of being accomplished
  • bruikbaarserving a useful function; functional or handy
  • handigserving a useful function; functional or handy
  • hanteerbaarserving a useful function; functional or handy
  • nuttigserving a useful function; functional or handy
  • functioneelserving a useful function; functional or handy
  • bruikbaaravailable for use; accessible or employable
  • hanteerbaaravailable for use; accessible or employable
  • toegankelijkavailable for use; accessible or employable
  • werkbaaravailable for use; accessible or employable
Irish sodhéanta
  • sodhéantacapable of being accomplished
Romanian practicabil, funcțional
  • practicabilcapable of being accomplished
  • funcționalserving a useful function; functional or handy
  • folosibilserving a useful function; functional or handy
  • funcționabilavailable for use; accessible or employable
  • practicabilavailable for use; accessible or employable
Spanish realizable, alcanzable
  • realizablecapable of being accomplished
  • alcanzablecapable of being accomplished
  • factiblecapable of being accomplished
  • asequiblecapable of being accomplished
  • practicablecapable of being accomplished
Cite this entry
APA

practicable. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/practicable

MLA

“practicable.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/practicable. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “practicable,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/practicable.

Source: practicable on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.