Adjective. (Click on the speech icon to hear the pronunciation of the word \prag-ˈma-tik\





concerned with practical matters
guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory
dealing with the problems that exist in a specific situation in a reasonable and logical
way instead of depending on ideas and theories
relating to matters of fact or practical affairs often to the exclusion of intellectual or
artistic matters
of or concerning the theory of pragmatism
To describe a person or a solution that takes a realistic approach, consider the
adjective pragmatic. The four-year-old who wants a unicorn for her birthday isn't
being very pragmatic.
The opposite of idealistic is pragmatic, a word that describes a philosophy of "doing what works best."
From Greek pragma "deed," the word has historically described philosophers and politicians who
were concerned more with real-world application of ideas than with abstract notions. A pragmatic
person is sensible, grounded, and practical — and doesn't expect a birthday celebration filled with
magical creatures.
Usage:
 The decision was pragmatic in nature.
 The reason for this is entirely pragmatic.
 There was no pragmatic solution to the problem.
 These deliver pragmatic, appropriate, transparent actions leading directly to positive impacts.
 Forget idealism and dogmatism and get pragmatic!
 His pragmatic view of public education comes from years of working in city schools.
 He is a pragmatic man, not given to grand, visionary schemes
 “Their pragmatic successors like Benjamin Franklin were concerned with lightning's … power
but not its thrilling scenic value.” —John Updike, New York Review of Books, 15 Aug. 2002
 “NASA has two coexisting personae with vastly distinct characters: the somewhat romantically
motivated manned space program, and the rather more pragmatic unmanned program.” —
David H. Freedman, Discover, July 1994
 They were “pragmatic enough to have held on to their day jobs for years after they were
putting out records.” —Chris Mundy, Rolling Stone, 16 Sept. 1993
Synonyms:
down-to-earth, earthy, hardheaded, matter-of-fact, practical, realistic (also pragmatical)
Antonyms:
blue-sky, idealistic, impractical, unrealistic, utopian, visionary
DIRECTIONS: Discuss the meaning of the word with your students, with special emphasis on any variations
or nuances of the word specific to your discipline. Consider taking it a step further by using one or all of the
following ideas as you involve students with the new vocabulary. Remember to preview all content you
intend to share with students. Not all items on the lists provided below are appropriate for all
classes or age levels.
#1 Read this January 8, 2014 article from Nature entitled, “History: Shut Up and Calculate!” In this
article, David Kaiser asserts that “practical, interdisciplinary ways of working forged during the Second World War
had a lasting impact on a generation of physicists and their findings” (Kaiser). A form of the word pragmatic can
be found in the first and second paragraph of the “Philosophy Returns” section: “This war-forged
pragmatism produced enormously impressive research and influenced a generation of leading scientists,” and “They
were also areas in which most physicists came to agree that a pragmatic style could yield
the greatest success. During this period, for example, physicists first understood the
nuclear force that causes radioactivity, and conquered strange phenomena such as
superconductivity — both Nobel-prizewinning achievements” (Kaiser).
http://www.nature.com/news/history-shut-up-and-calculate-1.14458
Kaiser, David. “History: Shut Up and Calculate!” Nature. Nature-Macmillan, 8 Jan. 2014.
Web. 20 Jan. 2014.
#2
Read and discuss this article about gaming piracy from the BBC entitled “UK Video Game
Developers Adapt to Meet Piracy Threat.” In this article, the CEO of Tiga states that "UK developers are
taking the initiative to deal with the issue of piracy and are looking for new ways of delivering content and
communicating directly with their consumers. . . . . This is testament to the generally pragmatic and
innovative approach of the UK video game industry" (Wilson qtd. in Blake).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/24541910
Blake, Jonathan. “UK Video Game Developers Adapt to Meet Piracy Threat.” BBC News: Newsbeat. BBC, 16 Oct. 2013.
Web. 20 Jan. 2014.
#3 Read and discuss this September 14th, 2013 article from Salon entitled “Home-Schooling:
You’re Doing It Too!” The main idea of this article is that “the home-school trend is just an extension
of what ‘regular’ parents are already doing. Can't we all get along?” In the seventh paragraph, the idea
is presented that “in an age when most people will work many different jobs in different places, or work from
home, school itself should arguably be a more fluid and decentered experience. Home-schooling is just one of
many possible options in that transition, but it can be helpful to some families in an entirely pragmatic way.”
http://www.salon.com/2013/09/14/home_schooling_youre_doing_it_too/
#4 For a fun, sports-related discussion, read this article, published Sept. 8, 2013 in The New York
Times, in which “Phil Olsen, the captain of Beard Team USA, which competes at the World Beard and
Moustache Championships, praised the [Red Sox] players for being stylish and pragmatic.” The article is
entitled “Bonding with Beards, The Red Sox Repair Their Clubhouse Chemistry.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/09/sports/baseball/bonding-with-beards-the-red-sox-repairtheir-clubhouse-chemistry.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
#5 Read this 20 January 2014 post from the “Life” section of Business Insider entitled “This
Pragmatic Philosophy Explains Everything About Singapore” in which Derek Silvers discusses why
Singapore is one of the most successful countries in the world.
http://www.businessinsider.com/this-pragmatic-philosophy-explains-everything-about-singapore-2014-1
#6 Read this short article from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy about the philosophy of
pragmatism, “a philosophical tradition that originated in the United States around 1870.”
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pragmatism/
#7
#8
Discuss: are you a rule-maker or a rule-breaker? The pragmatic approach lies in the middle
between chaotic and bureaucratic.
#9
#10
Aldous Huxley (Brave New World) said, Dream in a
pragmatic way.” Discuss how this is ironic; discuss
how it is possible.
#11