im·prac·ti·ca·ble

(ĭm-prăk′tĭ-kə-bəl)

adj.

1. Impossible to do or carry out: Refloating the sunken ship intact proved impracticable because of its fragility.

2. Unfit for passage: roads impracticable in winter.

3. Archaic Unmanageable; intractable.

im·prac′ti·ca·bil′i·ty, im·prac′ti·ca·ble·ness n.

im·prac′ti·ca·bly adv.

Usage Note: The adjective impracticable applies to a course of action that is impossible to carry out or put into practice; impractical, though it can be used in this way, also can be weaker in sense, suggesting that the course of action would yield an insufficient return or would have little practical value. A plan for a new stadium may be rejected as impracticable if the site is too marshy to permit safe construction, but if the objection is that the site is too remote for patrons to attend games easily, the plan is better described as impractical. See Usage Note at practicable.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

impracticable

(ɪmˈpræktɪkəbəl)

adj

1. incapable of being put into practice or accomplished; not feasible

2. unsuitable for a desired use; unfit

3. an archaic word for intractable

imˌpracticaˈbility, imˈpracticableness n

imˈpracticably adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

im•prac•ti•ca•ble

(ɪmˈpræk tɪ kə bəl)

adj.

1. not practicable; incapable of being put into practice or use with the available means.

2. impassable: impracticable terrain.

[1645–55]

im•prac`ti•ca•bil′i•ty, im•prac′ti•ca•ble•ness, n.

im•prac′ti•ca•bly, adv.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.

impracticable - not capable of being carried out or put into practice; "refloating the sunken ship proved impracticable because of its fragility"; "a suggested reform that was unfeasible in the prevailing circumstances"

infeasible, unfeasible, unworkable

impossible - not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with; "an impossible dream"; "an impossible situation"

impracticable

adjective unfeasible, impossible, out of the question, unworkable, unattainable, unachievable Such measures would be highly impracticable.
unfeasible possible, feasible, practicable

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

impracticable

adjective

1. Not capable of happening or being done:

impossible, impractical, unattainable, unrealizable, unthinkable, unworkable.

Idiom: out of the question.

2. Incapable of being used or availed of to advantage:

impractical, unnegotiable, unserviceable, unusable, unworkable, useless.

Translations

غَير قابِل للتَّنْفيذ

neuskutečnitelný

uladsiggørligumulig

unausführbar

impraticable irréalisable

kivihetetlen

óframkvæmanlegur, óraunhæfur

impraticabile inattuabile impossibile

neįvykdomasneįvykdomas dalykas

neizpildāmsnerealizējams

ugjennomførbar

neuskutočniteľný

uygulanamazyapılamaz

不可行的不能实行的

impracticable

[ɪmˈpræktɪkəbl] ADJ (= unrealizable) → impracticable, no factible

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

impracticable

[ɪmˈpræktɪkəb^əl] adj → impraticable

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

impracticable

adj → impraktikabel; plan also → in der Praxis nicht anwendbar, praktisch unmöglich; design, size → unbrauchbar; road → schwer befahrbar

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

impracticable

[ɪmˈpræktɪkəbl] adj → inattuabile

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

impracticable

(imˈprӕktikəbl) adjective

not able to be put into practice, used, done etc. a completely impracticable idea.

imˌpracticaˈbility noun

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

It is also but right to mention, not only the inconveniences they are preserved from who live in a communion of goods, but also the advantages they are deprived of; for when the whole comes to be considered, this manner of life will be found impracticable.

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"He has come to the conclusion," Cathcart said, "that the scheme is impracticable altogether and the concessions worthless.

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He really felt conscientiously vexed on the occasion; for the very exertion to which he had limited the performance of his promise to his father was by this arrangement rendered impracticable.-- The furniture was all sent around by water.

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If we know that the enemy is open to attack, and also know that our men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the nature of the ground makes fighting impracticable, we have still gone only halfway towards victory.

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I meant to become her governess once more, but I soon found this impracticable; my time and cares were now required by another--my husband needed them all.

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We were now convinced that our enterprise was impracticable, and that to hazard ourselves amidst so many insurmountable difficulties would be to tempt Providence; despairing, therefore, that I should ever come this way to Abyssinia, I resolved to return back with my intelligence to my companion, whom I had left at Pate.

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The disciplined armies always kept on foot on the continent of Europe, though they bear a malignant aspect to liberty and economy, have, notwithstanding, been productive of the signal advantage of rendering sudden conquests impracticable, and of preventing that rapid desolation which used to mark the progress of war prior to their introduction.

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There are but two methods of providing against this evil: the one by creating a will in the community independent of the majority -- that is, of the society itself; the other, by comprehending in the society so many separate descriptions of citizens as will render an unjust combination of a majority of the whole very improbable, if not impracticable. The first method prevails in all governments possessing an hereditary or self-appointed authority.

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He endeavored to dissuade Captain Bonneville from returning through the Blue Mountains; assuring him it would be extremely difficult and dangerous, if not impracticable, at this season of the year; and advised him to accompany Mr.

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Ferguson forthwith set every thing at work to get into a contrary current, that might bring him back again to Lake Tchad; but this was impracticable at that moment, and even to alight was out of the question on ground completely bare of trees, and with such a hurricane blowing.

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Continuing to represent the liberation of the serfs as impracticable, he arranged for the erection of large buildings- schools, hospitals, and asylums- on all the estates before the master arrived.

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By the device therefore of his motto, it became impracticable for any man to presume to imitate the Spectators, without understanding at least one sentence in the learned languages.

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