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practical application

practical application

8 3.8
Putting an idea or theory to use in real life
  • noun
  • /ˈpræktɪkəl ˌæplɪˈkeɪʃən/
translation icon : aplicación práctica
  • There are no known practical applications of this theory.
  • practical application of theory
  • practical application of knowledge
  • need for practical application

The maybe the most practical application of this is wine.

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Examples

  • We value the production of knowledge and its practical application to ease our lives.

    Academic text (1995)
  • What they have discovered so far about the nose has practical applications for learning.

    Academic text (2008)
  • See, this is a practical application of making it smaller.

  • All right, So this is more like what I would consider to be a practical application for this thing.

  • Theory is important, and should be taught, but always with lots of practical applications to back it up.

    Academic text (2015)
  • More importantly, students will need chances to explore the practical applications of their newly learned words.

    Academic text (2011)
  • During MESE, students became quickly involved in the practical application of theory.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Our study suggests two potential practical applications for the design of Hib vaccination programs.

    Academic text (2012)
  • The CCSS for mathematics emphasize mathematical reasoning, conceptual understanding, and practical applications.

    Academic text (2013)
  • The students learned about the practical application of physics in engineering projects.

Synonyms

application
vspractical application
162 3.1

Using something for a certain purpose, for example a skill or tool

focuses on making ideas or theories work effectively in real situations

How Useful

practical application
8 3.8
proposal
817 2.9
idea
1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

practical + application

The meaning 'the act of putting something into effective use in real situations' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'practical' (relating to real-world use) with 'application' (the act of putting something into use). This adjective+noun composition is a regular, compositional pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words should readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Practical application comes from the image of a practical tool being put to work and its application to a real task. So it means 'to use an idea or method in real life'.