Pragmatic

adjective · SAT

Meaning: Dealing with problems in a sensible, realistic way, based on what will actually work rather than on theory or ideals.

Examples

Rather than holding out for an ideal policy, the council took a pragmatic approach, approving a smaller bike-lane pilot it could fund immediately.
The author portrays the inventor as pragmatic: she abandoned elegant designs whenever cheaper, sturdier ones worked just as well.

Synonyms:

practicalrealisticsensibledown-to-earth

Antonyms:

idealisticimpracticaltheoretical

Pragmatic sounds like "practical." A pragmatic person asks "Does it work?" before "Is it perfect?"

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

Facing a tight deadline, the engineers made the ______ decision to adapt an existing design instead of developing a new one from scratch.

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wise and careful about the future

able to recover quickly from difficulty or setbacks

keen wisdom and sound judgment

false or fake

so slight or delicate that it is hard to notice or describe

to forcibly stop or hold back something, such as an activity, information, or a feeling

persistent and determined

present or found everywhere