Key Difference – Pragmatic vs Practical
Pragmatic and practical are adjectives often used as synonyms. However, they cannot always be used interchangeably despite their similar meanings. The main difference between pragmatic and practical lies in their usage; pragmatic primarily refers to a way of thinking, while practical can be used to describe people, concepts, objects, and more.
What Does Pragmatic Mean?
Pragmatic refers to the sensibility or realism of something. It can describe a person’s quality or a way of thinking. For example, dealing with things sensibly and realistically based on practical rather than theoretical considerations (Oxford Dictionary) or dealing with the problems that exist in a specific situation in a reasonable and logical way instead of depending on ideas and theories (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
What Does Practical Mean?
Practical refers to what is real and what is possible. The Oxford dictionary defines practical as “concerned with the actual doing or use of something rather than with theory and ideas.” Practical can be used to describe an action, a person, or an object. For example, a practical person is someone who thinks realistically and sensibly rather than idealistically. The adjective practical is used to describe an object when it is suitable for a particular purpose. In British English, practical can also be used as a noun, referring to an examination where theories and procedures learned are applied to the actual making or doing of something.
Key Takeaways
- Pragmatic primarily refers to a way of thinking, while practical can describe people, concepts, objects, and more.
- Pragmatic and practical cannot always be used interchangeably, even though they have similar meanings.
- Both pragmatic and practical deal with sensibility and realism, but their usage differs in terms of the context they are applied.
