prac·tice (prăk'tĭs)

v., -ticed, -tic·ing, -tic·es.

v.tr.

1. To do or perform habitually or customarily; make a habit of: practices courtesy in social situations.
2. To do or perform (something) repeatedly in order to acquire or polish a skill: practice a dance step.
3. To give lessons or repeated instructions to; drill: practiced the students in handwriting.
4. To work at, especially as a profession: practice law.
5. To carry out in action; observe: practices a religion piously.
6. Obsolete. To plot (something evil).

v.intr.

1. To do or perform something habitually or repeatedly.
2. To do something repeatedly in order to acquire or polish a skill.
3. To work at a profession.
4. Archaic. To intrigue or plot.

n.

1. A habitual or customary action or way of doing something: makes a practice of being punctual.
2. 1. Repeated performance of an activity in order to learn or perfect a skill: Practice will make you a good musician.
   2. A session of preparation or performance undertaken to acquire or polish a skill: goes to piano practice weekly; scheduled a soccer practice for Saturday.
   3. Archaic. The skill so learned or perfected.
   4. The condition of being skilled through repeated exercise: out of practice.
3. The act or process of doing something; performance or action: a theory that is difficult to put into practice.
4. Exercise of an occupation or profession: the practice of law.
5. The business of a professional person: an obstetrician with her own practice.
6. A habitual or customary action or act. Often used in the plural: That company engages in questionable business practices. Facial tattooing is a standard practice among certain peoples.
7. Law. The methods of procedure used in a court of law.
8. Archaic.
   1. The act of tricking or scheming, especially with malicious intent.
   2. A trick, scheme, or intrigue.

[Middle English practisen, from Old French practiser, alteration of practiquer, from practique, practice, from Medieval Latin prāctica. See practicable.]

practicer prac'tic·er n.

SYNONYMS   practice, exercise, rehearse. These verbs mean to do repeatedly to acquire or maintain proficiency: practice the shot put; exercising one's wits; rehearsed the play for 14 days. See also synonyms at habit.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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