What does practicably mean?
Practicably is an adverb meaning in a manner that is feasible or capable of being carried out. It focuses on the practical conditions surrounding an action: whether the action can reasonably be performed, maintained, or completed under the stated circumstances. For example, a plan may be theoretically elegant but not practicably implementable because of cost, time, safety, or available resources. The word has a formal, slightly technical tone and is considerably less common than the similar adverb practically. In ordinary usage, practically can mean in actual practice or informally almost, so its meaning may be less precise in a given sentence. Practicably is therefore useful when a distinction is important, particularly in engineering, planning, law, and other contexts concerned with feasibility. Although it is closely related to practicable, it normally expresses the manner in which something can be done rather than describing the thing itself as feasible.
adverbIn a way that can be put into practice; feasibly.
- In a way that is feasible and capable of being put into practice.
"The engineers revised the design so that it could be built practicably within the available budget."
"The route was long, but it remained practicably the safest option for the group."
"By simplifying the mechanism, the designer made the device practicably repairable by local technicians."
Practically belongs to everyday speech; practicably is its formal, comparatively rare sibling.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does practicably come from?
Practicably was formed in English by adding the adverbial suffix -ly to practicable. Practicable derives from Latin practicabilis, meaning capable of being put into practice, which was based on practicare, to practice or put into practice. Latin practicare in turn draws on Greek praktikos, concerned with action or practice, ultimately associated with prassein, to do or perform.
How practicably is actually used
Formal and relatively uncommon; in many contexts, feasibly or practically would sound more natural.
Easily confused with practicably
Practicably means in a feasible or practicable manner, whereas practically commonly means in actual practice or, informally, almost.
Practicable is an adjective meaning capable of being carried out, while practicably is the adverb modifying how an action is performed.