Pragmatic (Adjective)
Meaning 1
Concerned with practical matters; "a matter-of-fact (or pragmatic) approach to the problem"; "a matter-of-fact account of the trip".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- She took a pragmatic approach to her career, focusing on skills that would increase her earning potential.
- The company's pragmatic decision to downsize was met with resistance from employees who had been with the company for years.
- As a pragmatic person, he was more interested in finding a solution that worked than in debating the theoretical merits of different approaches.
- The politician's pragmatic stance on the issue was seen as a welcome change from the more ideological positions taken by her opponents.
- The team's pragmatic leader made the tough decision to cancel the project, citing the high costs and low potential for return on investment.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
Guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory; "a hardheaded appraisal of our position"; "a hard-nosed labor leader"; "completely practical in his approach to business"; "not ideology but pragmatic politics".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 3
Of or concerning the theory of pragmatism.
Classification
Relational adjectives (pertainyms).
Examples
- The philosopher's pragmatic approach to ethics emphasized the importance of practical consequences over abstract moral principles.
- In his pragmatic theory of truth, the philosopher argued that a statement is true if it works, regardless of its correspondence to an objective reality.
- The pragmatic method of inquiry involves testing hypotheses through experimentation and observation, rather than relying on abstract reasoning.
- The philosopher's pragmatic view of knowledge holds that it is not a matter of discovering objective truths, but rather of developing useful tools for navigating the world.
- The pragmatic approach to language emphasizes its role as a tool for communication and problem-solving, rather than as a reflection of an objective reality.