practise
Formspractises, practising, practised
US spellingpractice
Often confused with practice
- 1To do something again and again so that you get better at it.
I practise my guitar in my bedroom every evening before tea.
She practised her speech in front of the mirror the night before.
UsageThe verb has an s and the noun practice has a c. Say practise speaking, with -ing.
Similarrehearse
- 2To do something often as part of your life, or to act in the way a belief or rule says.
My grandparents practise their religion and go to church every Sunday.
People in the village still practise old customs at harvest time.
UsageOften in practise a religion and practise what you preach: do what you tell others to do.
- 3To work in a skilled job, especially as a lawyer, a doctor or an artist.
My aunt practises medicine at a hospital in Leeds.
He wants to practise law when he finishes university.
UsageSay practise law or practise medicine. You can also practise as a doctor or a lawyer.
Less common meanings
- 4To train someone or get them used to doing something by having them do it repeatedly.
In church they are taught to love God; after church they are practised to love their neighbour.
1828, Walter Savage Landor, “Lord Brooke and Sir Philip Sidney”UsageOlder writing uses practise someone in a skill or practise someone to do something. Today, usually say train someone.
Note
- 5
- 6To make secret plans together to do something wrong or harmful.
UsageFollowed by against or on and the person: practise against the king.
Note
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of practise apart? Answer 4 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
From French and Latin, from a Greek word meaning "practical", from a verb meaning "to do".
Checked 4 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- Practise derives through French and Latin. en.wiktionary.org
- Its Greek ancestor means practical. en.wiktionary.org
- The Greek adjective derives from a verb meaning to do. en.wiktionary.org