prac·tice    Audio Help   /ˈpræktɪs/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[prak-tis] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation noun, verb, -ticed, -tic·ing.

–noun

1.	habitual or customary performance; operation: office practice.

2.	habit; custom: It is not the practice here for men to wear long hair.

3.	repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency: Practice makes perfect.

4.	condition arrived at by experience or exercise: She refused to play the piano, because she was out of practice.

5.	the action or process of performing or doing something: to put a scheme into practice; the shameful practices of a blackmailer.

6.	the exercise or pursuit of a profession or occupation, esp. law or medicine: She plans to set up practice in her hometown.

7.	the business of a professional person: The doctor wanted his daughter to take over his practice when he retired.

8.	Law. the established method of conducting legal proceedings.

9.	Archaic. plotting; intrigue; trickery.

10.	Usually, practices. Archaic. intrigues; plots.

–verb (used with object)

11.	to perform or do habitually or usually: to practice a strict regimen.

12.	to follow or observe habitually or customarily: to practice one's religion.

13.	to exercise or pursue as a profession, art, or occupation: to practice law.

14.	to perform or do repeatedly in order to acquire skill or proficiency: to practice the violin.

15.	to train or drill (a person, animal, etc.) in something in order to give proficiency.

–verb (used without object)

16.	to do something habitually or as a practice.

17.	to pursue a profession, esp. law or medicine.

18.	to exercise oneself by repeated performance in order to acquire skill: to practice at shooting.

19.	Archaic. to plot or conspire.

Also, British, practise (for defs. 11–19).

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[Origin: 1375–1425; (v.) late ME practisen, practizen (< MF pra(c)tiser) < ML prāctizāre, alter. of prācticāre, deriv. of prāctica practical work < Gk prāktik n. use of fem. of prāktikós practic; see -ize; (n.) late ME, deriv. of the v.]

—Related forms

prac·tic·er, noun

—Synonyms 2. See custom. 3. application. See exercise.

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