Practice
/ˈpræk.tɪs/noun
Repeated performance or exercise of an activity to improve skill, or the actual application of a rule or belief.
Did you know?The word entered English through Anglo-French and Latin from Greek roots tied to *action* and *doing*, so its history is basically a linguistic spell for turning intention into reality.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*prāg-
“to do, to act”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πρᾶξις (praxis)
“action, deed, business”
Late Latin
Latin
practicus
“practical, fit for action”
Old French
Old French
pratique
“practical application, use, skill”
14th Century
English
practise
“to do habitually; to perform repeatedly”
Modern English
English
practice
“repeated exercise for skill or the actual application of something in real life”
Explore more surprising origins