# practice

Pronunciation: US say "PRAK-tis" /ˈpɹæktɪs/; UK

## Noun

1. A customary or habitual action or way of doing things, including the regular carrying out of religious duties.
   - Simple: Something people usually do as a habit or custom, or as part of their religion.
   - _Tipping servers is standard practice in many parts of the country._
   - _The company quietly revised its hiring practices last year._
2. Repeated doing of an activity to improve or keep up a skill, or a session held for this purpose.
   - Simple: Doing something again and again to get better at it, or a time set aside to do this.
   - _Band practice runs from four to six every Thursday._
   - _The coach canceled practice because of the storm._
4. The actual doing or operation of something, in contrast to its theory.
   - Simple: What really happens when an idea is used, not just the idea by itself.
   - _Many economic models work in theory but break down in practice._
   - _The gap between stated policy and everyday practice can be considerable._
5. A business or office through which a professional service is provided, such as a doctor's or lawyer's office.
   - Simple: A business or office where a doctor, lawyer, or other professional works.
   - _He sold his veterinary practice when he retired._
   - _Several small practices merged into one large clinic._
8. The continued exercise of a profession or craft, most notably medicine or one of the fine arts.
   - Simple: The work someone does over time in a job like medicine or art.
   - _After residency, she devoted herself to the practice of pediatrics._
   - _His studio practice combined painting with digital media._

## Verb

3. To do an activity repeatedly to improve one's skill at it, or to train others by having them do so.
   - Simple: To do something many times so you get better at it, or to make others do this.
   - _You should practice parallel parking before your driving test._
   - _He has been practicing his Spanish with a tutor twice a week._
6. To pursue a profession or career, especially in law, medicine, or the fine arts.
   - Simple: To work in a profession, especially as a lawyer, doctor, or artist.
   - _After passing the bar exam, he practiced law in Chicago for a decade._
   - _Doctors who practice medicine in rural areas often cover huge distances._
7. To perform or observe something regularly, as a matter of habit or custom.
   - Simple: To do or follow something regularly, as a habit or as part of your way of life.
   - _Few people in the village still practice the old harvest rituals._
   - _Fortune-telling was widely practiced in the back streets of the old port._
9. To put an idea, belief, or quality into action; to actually do or use it.
   - Simple: To act on an idea or belief, or to show a quality such as honesty or cruelty in what you do.
   - _Politicians rarely practice the honesty they demand of their opponents._
   - _The cruelty practiced on the prisoners shocked the inspectors._

## Other meanings

- (noun) The form, manner, and order of carrying lawsuits and prosecutions through their stages, following the principles of law and the rules laid down by the courts.
- (noun) Skillful or cunning management; clever scheming or the use of contrivance and trickery to achieve an end.
- (noun) A simple, concise method of applying the rules of arithmetic to the calculations that arise in trade and business.
- (verb) To join with others in secretly planning something harmful or unlawful.

## Origin

The verb goes back to Ancient Greek 'praktikós', which gave Late Latin 'prācticus' and then Medieval Latin 'prācticāre'. Middle French had 'practiquer', altered to 'pratiser', and Middle English took the verb from that form. The noun grew out of the verb in Middle English (compare Medieval Latin 'prāctica'), and its spelling was later changed to match other nouns ending in -ice.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/practice (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).