Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
practice
I. prac‧tice S2 W1 /ˈpræktəs, ˈpræktɪs/ noun
[Word Family: noun: practice, practitioner; adjective: PRACTISED/PRACTICED, PRACTISING/PRACTICING; verb: PRACTISE/PRACTICE]
1. A SKILL [uncountable and countable] when you do a particular thing, often regularly, in order to improve your skill at it:
It takes hours of practice to learn to play the guitar.
With a little more practice you should be able to pass your test.
We have choir practice on Tuesday evening.
in practice for something
Schumacher crashed out in practice for the Australian grand prix.
football/rugby/basketball etc practice
John’s at baseball practice.
► In British English, the verb is always spelled practise (see separate entry). In American English, both noun and verb are spelled practice.
2. in practice used when saying what really happens rather than what should happen or what people think happens:
In practice women receive much lower wages than their male colleagues.
The journey should only take about 30 minutes, but in practice it usually takes more like an hour.
3. SOMETHING DONE OFTEN [uncountable and countable] something that people do often, especially a particular way of doing something or a social or religious custom:
religious beliefs and practices
dangerous working practices
the practice of doing something
the practice of dumping waste into the sea
4. DOCTOR/LAWYER [countable] the work of a doctor or lawyer, or the place where they work
medical/legal practice
Mary Beth had a busy legal practice in Los Angeles. ⇒ general practice, private practice
5. be common/standard/normal practice to be the usual and accepted way of doing something:
It’s common practice in many countries for pupils to repeat a year if their grades are low.
It’s standard practice to seek parents’ permission wherever possible.
6. good/best/bad practice an example of a good or bad way of doing something, especially in a particular job:
It’s not considered good practice to reveal clients’ names.
7. put something into practice if you put an idea, plan etc into practice, you start to use it and see if it is effective:
It gave him the chance to put his ideas into practice.
8. be out of practice to have not done something for a long time, so that you are not able to do it well
9. practice makes perfect used to say that if you do an activity regularly, you will become very good at it
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
verbs
▪ do practice Have you done your piano practice?
▪ take practice American English (=do practice) If he’d done badly, he’d go out and take extra batting practice.
▪ have some/more etc practice (=do practice) I’m not a very good dancer. I haven’t had enough practice.
▪ get some practice You must get as much practice as possible before the competition.
▪ need practice She needs more practice.
▪ something takes practice (=you can only learn to do it well by practising) Writing well takes practice.
NOUN + practice
▪ football/basketball etc practice Dale was at football practice.
▪ piano/cello etc practice I’ve got to do my cello practice.
▪ batting/catching etc practice We'd better do a bit of batting practice before the game.
▪ choir practice There's choir practice on Tuesday evening.
▪ band practice Have you got band practice tonight?
▪ target practice (=practice shooting at something) The area is used by the army for target practice.
▪ teaching practice You have to do three months of teaching practice before you qualify.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ habit something you do regularly, often without thinking about it: Biting your nails is a bad habit. | I always go to the same supermarket, out of habit.
▪ mannerism a way of speaking or a small movement of your face or body that is part of your usual behaviour: Even her mannerisms are the same as her sister’s.
▪ custom something that people in a particular society do because it is traditional or the accepted thing to do: In Japan it is the custom to take off your shoes when you enter a house.
▪ tradition a belief, custom, or way of doing something that has existed for a long time: The tradition of giving Easter eggs goes back hundreds of years. | In many countries, it’s a tradition for the bride to wear white. | It was a family tradition to go for a walk on Christmas Day.
▪ practice something that people often do, especially as part of their work or daily life: The hotel has ended the practice of leaving chocolates in guests’ rooms.
II. prac‧tise S3 W3 British English, practice American English /ˈpræktəs, ˈpræktɪs/ verb
[Word Family: noun: practice, practitioner; adjective: PRACTISED/PRACTICED, PRACTISING/PRACTICING; verb: PRACTISE/PRACTICE]
1. [intransitive and transitive] to do an activity, often regularly, in order to improve your skill or to prepare for a test:
They moved the furniture back to practise their dance routine.
It gives students the opportunity to practice their speaking skills.
practise doing something
Today we’re going to practise parking.
practise for
She’s practicing for her piano recital.
practise something on somebody
Everybody wants to practise their English on me.
2. [transitive] to use a particular method or custom:
a technique not widely practised in Europe
3. [intransitive and transitive] to work as a doctor or lawyer:
medical graduates who intend to practise in the UK
practise as
Gemma is now practising as a dentist.
4. [transitive] if you practise a religion, system of ideas etc, you live your life according to its rules:
They are free to practice their religion openly.
5. practise what you preach to do the things that you advise other people to do:
She didn’t always practise what she preached.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ practise British English, practice American English verb [intransitive and transitive] to do an activity many times in order to improve your skill or to prepare for a test: The course will give you a chance to practise your language skills. | He was practising his golf swing. | You need to practise regularly if you're going to be a good piano player.
▪ train verb [intransitive] to practise physical movements or activities in preparation for a race or game: He's training for the Olympics.
▪ rehearse verb [intransitive and transitive] to practise a play, speech, or music in preparation for a public performance: She's in New York where she's rehearsing her new play. | The band are currently rehearsing for their world tour.
▪ work on something to practise a particular skill so that your general performance improves: You need to work on your listening comprehension.
▪ go/run through something to practise something such as a speech, play, or piece of music by reading or playing it from the beginning to the end: I'll just run through the speech one more time.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
prac·tice [practice practices practiced practicing] noun, verb [ˈpræktɪs] [ˈpræktɪs]
noun
ACTION NOT IDEAS
1. uncountable action rather than ideas
• the theory and practice of teaching
• She's determined to put her new ideas into practice.
WAY OF DOING STH
2. uncountable, countable a way of doing sth that is the usual or expected way in a particular organization or situation
• common/current/standard practice
• guidelines for good practice
• a review of pay and working practices
• religious practices
• child care policy and practice
see also best practice, code of practice, restrictive practices, sharp practice
HABIT/CUSTOM
3. countable a thing that is done regularly; a habit or a custom
• the German practice of giving workers a say in how their company is run
• It is his practice to read several books a week.
FOR IMPROVING SKILL
4. uncountable, countable doing an activity or training regularly so that you can improve your skill; the time you spend doing this
• conversation practice
• It takes a lot of practice to play the violin well.
• There's a basketball practice every Friday evening.
• She does an hour's piano practice every day.
see also teaching practice
OF DOCTOR/LAWYER
5. uncountable, countable the work or the business of some professional people such as doctors, dentists and lawyers; the place where they work
• the practice of medicine
• Students should have prior experience of veterinary practice.
• My solicitor is no longer in practice.
• a successful medical/dental/law practice
see also general practice, group practice, private practice
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from practise, on the pattern of pairs such as advise, advice.
Thesaurus:
practice noun
1. U
• the theory and practice of teaching
application • • exercise • • use •
effective/proper/continued/normal practice/application/exercise/use
common/current/correct/safe/commercial/industrial/clinical practice/application/use
limit/regulate/justify the practice/exercise/use of sth
2. U, C
• a guide to best practice for employers
convention • • custom • • tradition • • norms •
(an) established practice/convention/custom/tradition/norms
a local/British practice/custom/tradition
follow a practice/convention/custom/tradition/…norms
3. U, C
• We have choir practice every Friday.
training • • rehearsal • • drill •
regular practice/training/rehearsals/drills
football/hockey, etc. practice/training
do practice/training/rehearsals
a practice/training/rehearsal session/schedule
Example Bank:
• American social practices
• Certain practices exist in both public and private schools.
• Don't worry if you can't do it at first— it takes practice!
• Established practices are difficult to modify.
• He has been suspended from practice, pending legal investigations.
• He runs a successful legal practice in Ohio.
• His accent should improve with practice.
• I can't wait to put what I've learned into practice.
• I don't make a practice of forgetting to pay my bills, I assure you!
• I'll be able to get in a bit of practice this weekend.
• I've had a lot of practice in saying ‘no’ recently!
• If you don't play regularly you soon get out of practice.
• It is standard practice not to pay bills until the end of the month.
• It will be good practice for later, when you have to make speeches in public.
• It's a group practice, so you can easily change doctors.
• Martin began his own practice in 1993.
• Religious practices differ from group to group.
• She has opened a new practice in the town.
• She maintains a private practice as a mental health consultant.
• She wants to go into general practice.
• Some prisoners defend this practice as the only way to survive.
• Such practices do not reflect our values.
• The bank has continued its practice of charging late fees.
• The children need more practice in tying their shoelaces.
• The idea sounds fine in theory, but would it work in practice?
• The practice of community policing was introduced in the 1970s.
• They carried out a study of Japanese working practices.
• This chapter gives students practice in using adjectives.
• This is now common practice among ethnographers.
• This practice was roundly condemned by the World Medical Association.
• We use this information to inform clinical practice.
• We watched the swimmers go through their practice drills.
• a doctor in general practice
• a physician in family practice
• a psychologist in private practice
• adopting current best practices in your business
• advice on adopting current best practice in your business
• changes in employment practices
• environmentally sound practices
• ethical practice within the profession
• good practice in undergraduate education
• hard work and daily practice
• practice at swimming underwater
• questionable accounting practices regarding the sale of hardware
• safe medical practices for children
• shady business practices
• studying Japanese working practices
• sustainable land-use practices
• the ancient custom of log rolling, a practice which continues to this day
• the company's general practice of selling through agents
• the complications that arise in actual practice
• the decisions that govern our practice and our conduct
• the medical practices of ancient Egypt
• the practice of acupuncture
• voluntary codes of practice between sellers and customers
• A large number of dentists have left the National Health Service to set up in private practice.
• I like the German practice of giving workers a say in how their company is run.
• It is common practice in universities to employ foreign teachers as language assistants.
• It was my practice never to make a written record of the conversations.
• Members have to abide by the federation's code of practice.
• My analyst is no longer in practice.
• Rumours of sharp practice or dishonest dealing will ruin his career.
• She does an hour's piano practice every day.
• She runs a successful law practice.
• She's determined to put her new ideas into practice.
• The book is about the theory and practice of teaching.
• The trainees need more practice in using the compass.
• There's a basketball practice every Friday evening.
• They have been studying Japanese business practices.
• They have produced a guide to best practice for employers.
Idioms: in practice ▪ of practice ▪ practice makes perfect
verb (especially US) = practise
• to practice the piano every day
• The team is practicing for their big game on Friday.
• They practiced the dance until it was perfect.
• She's practicing medicine in Philadelphia.
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from practise, on the pattern of pairs such as advise, advice.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
practice
practice (REGULAR ACTIVITY) /ˈpræk.tɪs/
noun [C or U]
something that is usually or regularly done, often as a habit, tradition or custom:
What can European companies learn from Japanese business practices?
It's common practice in the States to tip the hairdresser.
This is a cruel practice which should be banned immediately.
What is standard practice (= What is usually done) in a situation like this?
Newspaper editors have agreed a new code of practice on the invasion of privacy.
practise UK, US practice /ˈpræk.tɪs/
verb [T]
to do something regularly, often according to a custom, religion or set of rules, or as a habit:
The new government has promised all citizens the right to practise their religion.
Practising safe sex is an important way of avoiding HIV infection.
The company denies that it has practised discrimination against any of its employees.
practising UK, US practicing /ˈpræk.tɪ.sɪŋ/
adjective [before noun]
actively involved in a religion:
a practising Muslim/Jew/Christian
practice (ACTION) /ˈpræk.tɪs/
noun [U]
action rather than thought or ideas:
It seemed like a good idea before we started, but in practice it was a disaster.
Officially, Robert's in charge, but in practice Hannah runs the office.
I can't see how your plan is going to work in practice.
How do you intend to put these proposals into practice, Mohamed?
practise
practise (WORK) UK, US practice /ˈpræk.tɪs/
verb [I or T]
to work in an important skilled job for which a lot of training is necessary:
How long have you been practising as a dentist?
She practised medicine for twenty years before she became a writer.
practice /ˈpræk.tɪs/
noun [C]
a job or business which involves a lot of skill or training:
a dental/medical/veterinary/legal practice
Our practice is responsible for about five thousand patients in this part of Leeds.
She's decided to leave the Health Service and join a private practice.
practising UK, US practicing /ˈpræk.tɪ.sɪŋ/
adjective [before noun]
actively involved in a job:
a practising doctor/lawyer
The number of practising doctors is falling even though more people are qualifying in medicine.
practise (TRAIN) UK, US practice /ˈpræk.tɪs/
verb [I or T]
to do or play something regularly or repeatedly in order to become skilled at it:
I'm quite good at tennis but I need to practise my serve.
She practises the violin every day.
[+ ing form of verb] His written French is very good but he needs to practise speaking it.
practice /ˈpræk.tɪs/
noun [C or U]
when you do something regularly or repeatedly to improve your skill at doing it:
I need to get some more practice before I take my driving test.
Are you coming to cricket practice this evening?
She's never at home because she spends all her free time at hockey practices.
You'll gradually get better at it - it's just a question of practice.
I'm a bit out of practice (= I haven't had any recent experience) but I'd love to play.
Do you mind if I have a few practice shots before we start the game?
practised UK, US practiced /ˈpræk.tɪst/
adjective
1 very good at doing something because you have a lot of experience of doing it:
She is a confident and practised speaker who always impresses her audience.
He is practised in the art of public debate.
We need someone who is practised at negotiating business deals.
2 FORMAL describes a skill that has been obtained from a lot of practice:
She performed the song with practised skill.