How do you use the word pragmatic in a sentence?

Answer 1

To start, pragmatics is the study of the ability to communicate more than which is explicitly stated. The ability to understand another speakers 'intended' meaning is what we call pragmatic competence.

An example:

A mother wishes her son to clean his room. She could say:

"Clean your room."

This is direct and with clear semantic meaning. Alternativly, the mother could say:

"It's like a pig sty in your room."

This implies a similar meaning but is indirect and therefore requires pragmatic inference to derive the intended meaning. The 'understood' communication is still "clean your room".

An example sentence with the word pragmatic is:

• The teacher has a very pragmatic attitude towards instructing her students.
• He was a successful and pragamtic ruler, always doing the think that made the most sense and was most fitting.
• Your eyes are very pragmatic.

Answer 2

Building a parking lot for students was simple pragmatism on the part of the school's principal.

In a rare display of pragmatism, the directors agreed to a merger rather than face a hostile takeover.