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practicability

UK[ˌpræk.tɪ.kəˈbɪl.ə.ti]US[ˌpræk.tɪ.kəˈbɪl.ə.t̬i]
n

the quality of being able to be done or used successfully; feasibility.

n

the quality of being sensible and realistic; usefulness.

Morpheme Breakdown

practic
abil
ity
practic

do, act

abil

able

ity

state or quality

Etymology

the word 'practicability' is a layered construction built upon the core concept of action. its foundation is the latin root 'practic-', which relates to doing and practical activity, inherited from greek notions of engagement and performance. the addition of the latin suffix '-abilis' transforms this active root into a potential quality, meaning 'able to be done'. finally, the abstract noun suffix '-ity' encapsulates this potential into a defined state or attribute. thus, the term's logical journey is from the concrete act ('to do') to the capacity for action ('doable'), culminating in the abstract principle of feasibility or usefulness.

Analysis

Structure: practic (do, act) + abil (able) + ity (state or quality) practic originates from latin 'practicus' (practical, active), via greek 'praktikos' (fit for action), from the verb 'prassein' (to do, to act). abil is a combining form from latin '-abilis', an adjective-forming suffix meaning 'able to be, capable of'. ity is a noun-forming suffix from latin '-itas', denoting a state, condition, or quality.

Examples

the committee questioned the practicability of implementing such a complex system within a year.

before approving the design, the engineers must assess its financial and technical practicability.

her proposal was full of interesting ideas but lacked practicability for our current resources.

practicability – Meaning, Etymology & Word Origin | OpenEtymology