Pragmatic Meaning, Examples and a Quick Practice Quiz

Pragmatic (adjective). Pragmatic means choosing an approach that can work in the situation you actually face. A pragmatic person considers practical limits, such as time, money or available help, when making a decision.

Example: With only an hour before the guests arrived, we made the pragmatic choice to prepare a simple meal.

Pronunciation guide: prag-MAT-ik. Capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Explore the usage · Try the three-question quiz · Keep learning

What is a pragmatic person?

A pragmatic person asks what can reasonably be done with the resources available. For example, a student who cannot study for two hours might practise for fifteen minutes each day.

The word often expresses approval of practical judgment. It does not automatically mean that someone is selfish, unemotional or unwilling to follow principles.

Pragmatic, practical and idealistic

• Pragmatic: choosing what is workable in a particular situation.
• Practical: useful, realistic or suitable for doing something. It has a broader range of uses: practical skills, for example.
• Idealistic: guided by ideas about how things ought to be.

Someone can have idealistic goals and use pragmatic steps to reach them. The words describe different emphases, rather than two fixed personality types.

Examples and common word combinations

• We took a pragmatic approach and repaired the old desks before buying new ones.
• Sharing the classroom was a pragmatic solution while the library was closed.
• Her pragmatic advice was to practise the interview aloud with a friend.

Use the adjective before a noun or after be: “a pragmatic decision” or “The decision was pragmatic.”

What does pragmatically mean?

Pragmatically is the adverb. It describes how someone deals with a situation: “We planned pragmatically, allowing extra time for the journey.” Use pragmatic to describe a person or approach; use pragmatically to describe an action.

Synonyms, opposites and origin

Close alternatives include practical, realistic and sensible. Depending on context, an opposite might be impractical or idealistic. Check the sentence before substituting one for another.

The word reaches English through Latin from Greek roots associated with action or a thing done. It also has a specialised use relating to the philosophy of pragmatism.

Practise pragmatic: three quick questions

Try each question before opening its answer. For the writing question, your own correct sentence is welcome.

Question 1

A class needs books today. Which response is more pragmatic: A) share the available copies, or B) wait indefinitely for a perfect new library?

Question 2

Complete the sentence: “We approached the timetable ___.” Choose pragmatic or pragmatically.

Question 3

Write one sentence about a practical decision you made, using “a pragmatic choice.”

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Compare these words next: Profound meaning and practice and Concur meaning and practice.

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Dictionary reference: Merriam-Webster: Pragmatic. The examples and practice questions on this page are written for English Skill Studio.