different between beneficial vs practical

English

Etymology

From Late Latin benefici?lis (“beneficial”), from Latin beneficium (“benefit, favor, kindness”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: b?n?f?sh'?l, IPA^(key): /?b?n??f???l/

Adjective

beneficial (comparative more beneficial, superlative most beneficial)

1. Helpful or good to something or someone.

2. Relating to a benefice.

Synonyms

• (helpful or good): advantageous, behooveful (archaic), helpful, useful
• (relating to a benefice): usufructuary, usufructuous

Antonyms

• maleficial, nocuous, damaging, harmful (doing harm to someone)
• innocuous, undamaging, harmless (doing no harm; doing neither harm nor good)

Derived terms

• beneficialness
• beneficial owner

Translations

Noun

beneficial (plural beneficials)

1. Something that is beneficial.

English

Etymology

From practic +? -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p?ækt?k?l/
• Hyphenation: prac?ti?cal

Noun

practical (plural practicals)

1. (Britain) A part of an exam or series of exams in which the candidate has to demonstrate their practical ability
2. (theater) A prop that has some degree of functionality, rather than being a mere imitation.

Translations

Adjective

practical (comparative more practical, superlative most practical)

1. Based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis

2. Being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation; able to be put to use

3. Of a person, having skills or knowledge that are practical

4. (theater, not comparable) Of a prop: having some degree of functionality, rather than being a mere imitation.

Antonyms

• (based on practice or action): theoretical
• (likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation): impractical
• (of a person): impractical

Derived terms

• practicality
• practically

Related terms

• practicable
• practice
• practise
• practitioner
• pragmatic

Translations

Further reading

• practical in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• practical in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.