| Main Entry: | pragmatic |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | sensible |
Synonyms: |
businesslike, commonsensical, down-to-earth, efficient, hard, hard-boiled, hardheaded, logical, matter-of-fact, practical, realistic, sober, unidealistic, utilitarian |
| Notes: | empirical describes results determined by experiment and observed behavior or facts; theoretical describes results that are based on guesswork or hypothesis - and pragmatic is contrasted with theoretical on the grounds that the former proceeds from what is demonstrably practical, the latter from conjecture practical applies when what is in question is the conduct of affairs, whereas pragmatic applies when the question is the planning with respect to these affairs; practical is anything that can be done and is worth doing, while practicable is anything that can be done - worthwhile or not |
Antonyms: |
idealistic, unreasonable |
| Main Entry: | dogmatic |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | based on absolute truth |
Synonyms: |
a priori, as a matter of course, assertive, authoritarian, authoritative, axiomatic, by fiat, by natural law, by nature, canonical, categorical, deducible, deductive, derivable, doctrinaire, doctrinal, eternal, excathedra, formal, imperative, inevitable, on faith, oracular, orthodox, peremptory, positive, pragmatic, prophetic, reasoned, systematic, theoretical, unchangeable, unerring, unqualified |
Antonyms: |
ambiguous, doubtful, dubious, equivocal, fluctuating, indecisive, not positive, uncertain, vacillating |
| Main Entry: | down-to-earth |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | reasonable, practical |
Synonyms: |
common, commonsense, easy, hard, hardboiled, hardheaded, matter-of-fact, mundane, no-nonsense, plainspoken, pragmatic, rational, realistic, sane, sensible, sober, unfantastic, unidealistic, unsentimental |
Antonyms: |
excitable, excited, impractical, unreasonable, unsensible |
| Main Entry: | earthy |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | unsophisticated |
Synonyms: |
bawdy, coarse, crude, down, down home, down-to-earth, dull, easygoing, folksy, funky*, hard-boiled, home folk, homely, homey, indelicate, lowbred, lusty, mundane, natural, pragmatic, ribald, robust, rough, simple, unidealistic, uninhibited, unrefined |
| Notes: | earthy is 'similar to earth; hearty' or 'coarse, vulgar' while earthly is 'pertaining to human existence on earth'; earthen means 'made of earth or clay' |
Antonyms: |
cultured, elegant, refined, sophisticated |
| Main Entry: | empirical/empiric |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | practical; based on experience |
Synonyms: |
experient, experiential, experimental, factual, observational, observed, pragmatic, provisional |
Antonyms: |
hypothetical, impractical, speculative, theoretical, unobserved |
| Main Entry: | expedient |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | worthwhile, appropriate |
Synonyms: |
ad hoc, advantageous, advisable, beneficial, convenient, desirable, discreet, effective, feasible, fit, fitting, helpful, judicious, meet, opportune, politic, possible, practicable, practical, pragmatic, profitable, proper, prudent, seasonable, suitable, tactical, timely, useful, utilitarian, wise |
Antonyms: |
inappropriate, inexpedient, unbeneficial, unprofitable, unworthwhile |
| Main Entry: | hard |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | true, indisputable |
Synonyms: |
absolute, actual, bare, cold, definite, down-to-earth, genuine, plain, positive, practical, pragmatic, realistic, sure, undeniable, unvarnished, verified |
Antonyms: |
disputable, doubtful, inexact, questionable, uncertain, untrue |
| Main Entry: | hard-nosed/hardheaded |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | stubborn |
Synonyms: |
astute, bullheaded, hard*, hard-boiled, headstrong, intractable, levelheaded, locked in, mulish, obstinate, pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, practical, pragmatic, rational, realistic, resolute, sensible, shrewd, sober, stand pat, tough, tough-nut, unsentimental, unyielding, willful |
Antonyms: |
easy, easy-going, laid-back, merciful |
| Main Entry: | helpful |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | beneficial, beneficent |
Synonyms: |
accessible, accommodating, advantageous, applicable, benevolent, bettering, caring, conducive, considerate, constructive, contributive, convenient, cooperative, crucial, effectual, efficacious, essential, favorable, fortunate, friendly, good for, important, improving, instrumental, invaluable, kind, neighborly, operative, practical, pragmatic, productive, profitable, serendipitous, serviceable, significant, suitable, supportive, symbiotic, sympathetic, timely, usable, useful, utilitarian, valuable |
Antonyms: |
disadvantageous, harmful, hurtful, injurious, unconstructive, unhelpful, useless, worthless |
| Main Entry: | matter-of-fact |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | realistic, unembellished |
Synonyms: |
apathetic, calm, cold, cold-blooded, deadpan, down-to-earth, dry, dull, earthy, emotionless, factual, feasible, flat, hard-boiled, impassive, impersonal, lifeless, mundane, naked*, objective, phlegmatic, plain, practical, pragmatic, prosaic, prosy, serious, sober, stoic, stolid, unaffected, unidealistic, unimaginative, unimpassioned, unsentimental, unvarnished |
Antonyms: |
emotional, imaginative, lively |