| Author |
Message |
David Axt, AIA, CCS, CSI
Senior Member
Username: david_axt
Post Number: 593
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 02:04 pm: |    |
What is the difference? |
Don Harris CSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA
Senior Member
Username: don_harris
Post Number: 50
Registered: 03-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 02:12 pm: | |
From Dictionary.com:
Usage Note: It is easy to confuse practicable and practical because they look so much alike and overlap in meaning. Practicable means “feasible” as well as “usable,” and it cannot be applied to persons. Practical has at least eight meanings, including the sense “capable of being put into effect, useful,” wherein the confusion with practicable arises. But there is a subtle distinction between these words that is worth keeping. Someone with a practical knowledge of French may be able to order coffee in a café, though it may not be practicable to learn the language of every country in Europe. |
Richard L Matteo, AIA, CSI, CCS
Senior Member
Username: rlmat
Post Number: 135
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 02:12 pm: | |
According to my dictionary:
"Practicable" describes that which can be put into effect.
"Practical" describes that which is also sensible and worthwhile.
Not much help. |
Lynn Javoroski
Senior Member
Username: lynn_javoroski
Post Number: 283
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 02:17 pm: | |
I've always thought of "practicable" as being able to be put into practice. It may or may not be practical to do so. |
Marty Sweeney
Junior Member
Username: marty_sweeney
Post Number: 2
Registered: 07-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 02:17 pm: | |
It is subtle but there is practicably no difference between the two words. |
Lynn Javoroski
Senior Member
Username: lynn_javoroski
Post Number: 284
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 02:19 pm: | |
Of course there is; it may be practicable to use pen, ink and vellum to produce specifications. But it is not practical to do so. |
George A. Everding, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA
Senior Member
Username: geverding
Post Number: 96
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 02:35 pm: | |
I agree with Lynn. (practicable = being able to be put into practice) Specifiers often use practic[e]able as in "Apply coating by brush, roller or other practicable method to achieve smooth finish”. Specifiers seldom use practical; it’s up to the contractor to figure out if the practicable method of spraying the coating is practical for the project. |
Doug Brinley AIA CSI CDT CCS
Senior Member
Username: dbrinley
Post Number: 150
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 02:37 pm: | |
Lynn and George expressed the meanings effectively - in my opinion there is an important difference. |
Richard Baxter, CSI (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 02:15 pm: | |
Courtesy of my "American Heritage Dictionary" CD:
Practicable means “feasible” as well as “usable” and hence overlaps in meaning to some extent with practical, which can mean “useful.” However, practicable does not share any other senses with practical. |
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