practice

Related to practice: practise

code of practice

A document that outlines proper behavior for those who work in a certain profession. Primarily heard in UK. His despicable behavior completely violates our code of practice! You can't accept monetary gifts from your clients—that violates our code of practice as clinicians.
See also: code, of, practice

in practice

1. As something actually is or is done in reality, as opposed to in theory. Yes, that was the hypothesis, but these things often turn out quite different in practice. In practice, that rule is not strictly enforced, so a lot of players get away with it.
2. In the state of being prepared due to having practiced something regularly, recently, and/or to a sufficient degree. I used to be able to do this with my eyes closed, but I'm really not in practice.
3. Serving in a professional field, often as a doctor, attorney, etc. Dr. Johnson is retiring after having been in practice for more than 30 years.
See also: practice

make (something) a practice

To do something habitually. Now that I've made exercising a practice, I do it every morning. If you make it a practice to reinvest your earnings, you'll be pleasantly surprised how much money can build up.
See also: make, practice

make a habit of (doing something)

To follow a routine in which one does something habitually. I've made a habit of doing 50 pushups every morning when I get out of bed. If you make a habit of investing some of your spare income, you'll be pleasantly surprised how much can build up.
See also: habit, make, of

make a practice of (doing something)

To do something habitually. I've made a practice of doing 50 pushups every morning when I get out of bed. If you make a practice of investing some of your spare income, you'll be pleasantly surprised how much can build up.
See also: make, of, practice

out of practice

Not having done something in a long time, and no longer skillful as a result. Wow, I haven't swung a bat in 10 years—I'm out of practice! I wanted to play songs on the guitar for my brother's wedding, but I was too out of practice.
See also: of, out, practice

practice makes perfect

proverb Practicing or repeatedly doing something will make one become proficient or skillful at it. A: "I just can't seem to get the rhythm of this song quire right." B: "Keep at it—practice makes perfect!" You can't expect to start a new sport and be amazing at it right away. As is always the case, practice makes perfect.
See also: make, perfect, practice

practice on (someone or something)

To train for some activity by doing drills on someone or something. (Spelled "practise" in British English.) A noun or pronoun can be used between "practice" and "on" to specify the activity one is training for. The doctor asked if the trainees could practice checking blood pressure and heart rate on me. I want to make sure the sculpture turns out how I want it, so I've been practicing on these concrete blocks before I move on to the marble.
See also: on, practice

practice what (one) preaches

To do the things or behave the way that one advises, dictates, or espouses. My parents always told us to respect each other and not to bicker, and they really did practice what they preached. If you're going to tell your employees not to incur excessive, unnecessary costs, then you had better practice what you preach.
See also: practice, preach, what

practice, practice, practice

The notion that the single best thing one can do when trying to improve in some activity or pursuit is to practice. People seem to think that you either are good at writing or you're not, but just like any other talent it takes practice, practice, practice! OK, everyone, remember that our recital is in two weeks, so every time you have free time I want you to practice, practice, practice! A: "How did you ever become such an amazing soccer player?" B: "Practice, practice, practice."
See also: practice

put (something) into practice

To commence doing something that had previously only been discussed, suggested, or planned. We've decided to put your ideas into practice for the next meeting. I've been putting that technique you showed me into practice during my training sessions.
See also: practice, put

sharp practice

Underhanded, deceitful, cunning, or particularly sneaky practice, especially in business, that is technically within the scope of the law but which may be considered immoral or unethical. The investment banking sector has been tightly reined in by the government after the sharp practice that went unchecked for so many years and cost so many people their life savings.
See also: practice, sharp
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

in practice

 
1. in the actual doing of something; in reality. Our policy is to be very particular, but in practice we don't care that much. The instructions say not to set it too high. In practice I always set it as high as possible.
2. well-rehearsed; well-practiced; well-exercised. The swimmer was not in practice and almost drowned. I play the piano for a living, and I have to keep in practice.
See also: practice

make a practice of something

 and make something a practice
to turn something into a habitual activity. Jane makes a practice of planting daisies every summer. Her mother also made it a practice.
See also: make, of, practice

*out of practice

performing poorly due to a lack of practice. (*Typically: be ~; get ~; go ~.) I used to be able to play the piano extremely well, but now I'm out of practice. The baseball players lost the game because they were out of practice.
See also: of, out, practice

Practice makes perfect.

Prov. Cliché Doing something over and over again is the only way to learn to do it well. Jill: I'm not going to try to play the piano anymore. I always make so many mistakes. Jane: Don't give up. Practice makes perfect. Child: How come you're so good at peeling potatoes? Father: I did it a lot in the army, and practice makes perfect.
See also: make, perfect, practice

practice (up)on someone or something

to train or drill on someone or something. (In preparation for the real thing. Upon is formal and less commonly used than on.) I do not want a dental student practicing upon me. I want to learn how to braid hair. Can I practice on you?
See also: on, practice

Practice what you preach.

Prov. Cliché You yourself should do the things you advise other people to do. Dad always told us we should only watch an hour of television every day, but we all knew he didn't practice what he preached.
See also: practice, preach, what

put something into practice

to make a suggested procedure the actual procedure. That is a good policy. I suggest you put it into practice immediately. I plan to put the new technique into practice as soon as I can.
See also: practice, put
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

in practice

1. Actually, in fact, especially as opposed to theoretically or in principle. For example, In practice this contraption seems to work, although no one knows how or why. [Second half of 1500s] Also see put into practice.
2. In the exercise of a particular profession, as in She's an obstetrician and has been in practice for at least ten years. [c. 1700]
3. In a state of being exercised so as to maintain one's skill, as in This trumpeter is always in practice. [Early 1600s] For an antonym, see out of practice.
See also: practice

make a practice of

Habitually do something, as in Bill makes a practice of checking the oil and gas before every long trip. [c. 1900]
See also: make, of, practice

out of practice

No longer used to doing something, no longer adept for lack of doing something, as in Mom hadn't baked a cake in years-she said she was out of practice. [Late 1800s] Also see in practice.
See also: of, out, practice

practice makes perfect

Frequently doing something makes one better at doing it, as in I've knit at least a hundred sweaters, but in my case practice hasn't made perfect. This proverbial expression was once put as Use makes mastery, but by 1560 the present form had become established.
See also: make, perfect, practice

practice what you preach

Behave as you would have others behave, as in You keep telling us to clean up, but I wish you'd practice what you preach. This idiom expresses an ancient idea but appeared in this precise form only in 1678. Also see do as I say.
See also: practice, preach, what

put into practice

Also, put in practice. Carry out in action, as in It's time we put these new ideas into practice. Shakespeare used this idiom in Two Gentlemen of Verona (3:2): "Thy advice, this night, I'll put in practice." [Mid-1500s]
See also: practice, put

sharp practice

Crafty or deceitful dealings, especially in business. For example, That firm's known for its sharp practice, so I'd rather not deal with them. This expression, first recorded in 1836, uses sharp in the combined sense of "mentally acute" and "cutting."
See also: practice, sharp
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

practice makes perfect

COMMON People say practice makes perfect to mean that if you practise something enough, you will eventually be able to do it perfectly. It is like learning to ride a bike. You may fall off a few times but practice makes perfect.
See also: make, perfect, practice
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

practice makes perfect

regular exercise of an activity or skill is the way to become proficient in it.
See also: make, perfect, practice
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

make a ˈhabit/ˈpractice of something

do something regularly: I don’t usually make a practice of staying up so late, but there was a programme on TV I wanted to watch.
See also: habit, make, of, practice, something

in ˈpractice

in reality; in fact; in a real or normal situation: The pilot is there to fly the plane, but in practice it flies itself most of the time. In theory it should work very well, but in practice it doesn’t.
See also: practice

ˌin/ˌout of ˈpractice

having practised/having not practised a skill regularly for a period of time: I’ve got to keep in practice if I’m going to win this race. I haven’t played the piano for a while so I’m a bit out of practice.
See also: of, out, practice

ˌpractice makes ˈperfect

(saying) a way of encouraging people by telling them that if you do an activity regularly you will become very good at it: If you want to learn a language, speak it as much as you can. Practice makes perfect!
See also: make, perfect, practice

put something into ˈpractice

actually do or carry out something which was only planned or talked about before: It’s not always easy to put your ideas into practice.
See also: practice, put, something

sharp ˈpractice

clever but dishonest methods of business, etc: There’s a lot of sharp practice in the second-hand car business.
See also: practice, sharp
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

practice makes perfect

The more one does something, the better at it one becomes. This ancient proverb began as use makes perfect. In English it dates from the fifteenth century but probably was a version of a much older Latin proverb. It exists in many languages, so presumably most people agree. Ralph Waldo Emerson almost did: “Practice is nine-tenths,” he wrote (Conduct of Life: Power, 1860). An English writer in the Spectator of May 10, 1902, differed: “Practice never makes perfect. It improves up to a point.”
See also: make, perfect, practice

practice what you preach

Do as you would have others do. The idea is an ancient one, expressed in somewhat different form in the Bible (Matthew 23:3): “They say and do not” (King James Version; the Revised Standard version changed it to “they preach but do not practice”). Repeated often over the centuries, it appears in Dickens’s Old Curiosity Shop (1840): “Divines do not always practice what they preach.” See also do as i say.
See also: practice, preach, what
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • code of practice
  • I wouldn't put it past (someone)
  • I wouldn't put it past somebody
  • wouldn't put it past someone
  • hardball
  • sexual misconduct
  • on a slippery slope
  • slippery slope
  • slippery slope, a
  • a slippery slope
References in periodicals archive
With the flood of investigations trader way, corporate insurers and their D&O claims specialists should look to the facts of each case, including evaluating whether the insured's practices were publicly disclosed, whether company insiders conducted themselves in a particularly egregious manner to benefit themselves or whether corporate officials reasonably relied on advice from outside financial and tax advisers.
Backdating backlash: will corporate insurers be wiped out by a tidal wave of D&O 'stock options' claims?
Yes, I do think it's important to do things besides just practice. When I take a break from practicing, I read, browse online or listen to music (from Chinese pop to Coldplay).
In their words: a closer look at the Collaborative Conference opening session artists
The Board recognizes that scope of practice questions for nurses at any level of licensure can be very difficult to answer due to the dynamic nature of nursing practice.
Advanced practice nurses and scope of practice
Under the previous law, foreign accountants trying to serve foreign companies located in California were ineligible for a practice privilege and unable to legally come here to provide temporary and incidental services.
Mobility stability: California's practice privilege struggles leading to reforms
According to the meta-analysis, the value of using these leaders to disseminate information and influence clinical practice was mixed, and no conclusions could be drawn.
Topical and systemic ototoxicity: medicolegal considerations
Although it is generally recognized that clinical skills are central to the practice of all health professions, clinical competence is rarely considered in tenure decisions in both nursing and allied health education.
Tenure practices in allied health and nursing
How best to streamline the regulatory process and its costs to ensure that all CPAs are licensed and regulated equally regardless of where they practice or who employs them has been a work in progress for more than a decade.
Substantial equivalency: practice privileges: the 55 U.S. CPA licensing jurisdictions are embracing change slowly
Research often will utilize empirical research designs (experimental or quasi-experimental, multiple controls, qualitative and quantitative) including standardized interventions and multiple sites, thereby allowing for generalizability of information for evidence-based practice. The research designs in evaluation are often less stringent and may include case studies, documentation of an intervention at a single site, quantitative or qualitative data, and local confirmation of program or intervention impact for planning and accountability.
Resources for school counselors and counselor educators: The Center for School Counseling Outcome Research
While the AICPA is committed to a state-based regulatory system, the Institute wants to eliminate the artificial barriers to interstate practice and mobility of CPAs that are represented by different requirements for practice privileges and/or temporary practice, while at the same time ensuring that the public is adequately protected.
AICPA Special Committee on Mobility created to address obstacles to interstate practice
Mind/body coordination is one aspect of taiji practice. This exercise can be done standing, sitting, or lying down.
Taiji: the challenge of moving slow
These issues are reflected in the desire of physicians to either limit their practice responsibilities or leave medicine entirely despite a relatively young age and clinical competence.
Senior physician slowdown--problem or opportunity?
Due to the many different realities of professional practice, the widely used term "mobility" is understood by professional geoscientists to mean many different things.
Mobility of Professional Geoscientists in Canada
Because it has no visible play clock, little or no practice devoted to clock issues, no clock available or turned on for practice, a poor understanding of clock management by coaches, and low a priority.
Common Football Clock Management mistakes
In response to the trials and tribulations associated with starting an architectural practice in New York, the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter, in association with The Architect's Newspaper, is co-hosting the second of four New Practices Roundtables on Thursday, September 29, from 6:30 p.m.
AIA helps guide new firms to success in business
This soon led to an expanded Environmental Medicine section that aimed to regularly publish articles in the Grand Rounds format as well as reviews, commentaries, case reports, and research articles, all of relevance to environmental medicine, with a focus mainly on clinical practice. The Grand Rounds series has been a resounding success, as reflected by the wide range of environmental medicine topics, the diversity of reporting sources, and the increased physician readership of the journal.
The future of environmental medicine in environmental health perspectives: where should we be headed?