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Academic vs Practical - What's the difference?

academic | practical |

As adjectives the difference between academic and practical

is that academic is belonging to the school or philosophy of Plato; as, the academic sect or philosophy while practical is based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis.

As nouns the difference between academic and practical

is that academic is a follower of Plato, a Platonist while practical is a part of an exam or series of exams in which the candidate has to demonstrate their practical ability.

academic

English

Alternative forms

* academick (obsolete) * acad, (abbreviation) * Academic

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Belonging to the school or philosophy of Plato; as, the academic sect or philosophy.
  • Belonging to an academy or other higher institution of learning; also a scholarly society or organization.
  • * academic courses -
  • * academical study -
  • Theoretical or speculative; abstract; scholarly, literary or classical, in distinction to scientific or vocational; having no practical importance.
  • I have always had an academic interest in hacking.
  • (art) Conforming to set rules and traditions; conventional; formalistic.
  • So scholarly as to be unaware of the outside world; lacking in worldliness.
  • Subscribing to the architectural standards of (Vitruvius).
  • Derived terms

    * academic advantage * academic disadvantage * academic institution * academic question * academic degree * academic discipline

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (usually, capitalized) A follower of Plato, a Platonist.
  • A senior member of an academy, college, or university; a person who attends an academy; a person engaged in scholarly pursuits; one who is academic in practice.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-09-07, volume=408, issue=8852, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= The multiplexed metropolis , passage=Academics
  • A member of the Academy; an academician.
  • *, II.4.2.ii:
  • Carneades the academick , when he was to write against Zeno the stoick, purged himself with hellebor first […].
  • (pluralonly) Academic dress; academicals.
  • (pluralonly) Academic studies.
  • Derived terms

    See also

    * scientific

    References

    practical

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (British) A part of an exam or series of exams in which the candidate has to demonstrate their practical ability
  • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis
  • Jack didn't get an engineering degree, but has practical knowledge of metalworking.
  • Being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation; able to be put to use
  • Jack's knowledge has the practical benefit of giving us useful prototype parts.
  • Of a person, having skills or knowledge that are practical
  • All in all, Jack's a very practical chap

    Antonyms

    * (based on practice or action) theoretical * (being likely to effective and applicable to a real situation) impractical * (of a person) impractical

    Derived terms

    * practicality * practically