Added 28 September 2026
pragmatic
/præɡˈmæt.ɪk/ adjective
In Latin: prāgmaticus Wiktionary
adjective Definition written for WordofTheDay.US. More about pragmatic at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Dealing with things sensibly and realistically, based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.
The council took a pragmatic approach to funding the bypass upgrades.
Origin
From Middle French pragmatique, from Late Latin pragmaticus (“relating to civil affair; in Latin, as a noun, a person versed in the law who furnished arguments and points to advocates and orators, a kind of attorney”), from Ancient Greek πραγματικός (pragmatikós, “active, versed in affairs”), from πρᾶγμα (prâgma, “a thing done, a fact”), in plural πράγματα (prágmata, “affairs, state affairs, public business, etc.”), from πράσσω (prássō, “to do”) (whence English practical).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)