practically
adv/ˈpɹæktɪk(ə)li/
Etymology From practical + -ly.
1
In practice; in effect or in actuality, though possibly not officially, technically, or legally.
- Stalin was not technically or legally the head of state but was practically so.
- It is true that the Articles of the [Argentine] Constitution promise fair conditions under which to live; but, unfortunately, the self-same Constitution, in the hands of unscrupulous administrators, becomes so elastic as to be practically a dead letter.1893, C. E. Akers, “The Argentine Position”, in Argentine, Patagonian, and Chilian Sketches, with a Few Notes on Uruguay., London: Harrison and Sons, page 12:
2
Almost completely; almost entirely.
- Near-synonyms: effectively, nearly, virtually
- He was practically uneducated, barely able to read and write a simple sentence.
3 more examples
- If the ranchero had practically all the water near him, he had also practically all the cattle, […]1898, E[merson] Hough, “The Round-Up”, in The Story of the Cowboy, New York: D. Appleton and Company, page 153:
- The turnip is one of the lordliest vegetables in the world; its broth is practically a soup in itself.1969, Robert Farrar Capon, “Living Water”, in The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection:
- The first summer on record that melts practically all of the Arctic’s floating sea ice could occur as early as the 2030s, according to a new scientific study — about a decade sooner than researchers previously predicted.2023 June 6, Raymond Zhong, “Arctic Summer Could Be Practically Sea-Ice-Free by the 2030s”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 06 Jul 2023:
3
With respect to practices or a practice.
- He wasn't very good with words or numbers; he was more of a practically minded person
- He was practically educated and lacked theoretical depth.
4
In a way that is practical: feasibly; unchallengingly.
- practically achievable
- Synonyms
- all but
- Antonyms
- impractically