Impractically

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that is not suited for practical use, often causing challenges
2. Acting in a fashion that disregards practical considerations, leading to obstacles
3. In a way that lacks usefulness or feasibility in real-world situations

Etymology: The adverb is simply "impractical" with the suffix "-ly" added, and the story of its parts runs back a long way. The "-ly" ending descends from an Old English word meaning "body, form" or "like," which was used to build adjectives such as "godlike" and then, in Middle English, was reduced to "-ly" and attached to adjectives to make adverbs. So the ending that turns "impractical" into a description of how something is done is the same ending that once meant "in the shape of." The base word takes a different route. "Practical" came into English from Latin through French, and its root goes back to Greek "praktikos," meaning "fit for action." Placing "im-" in front gives the sense of not being fit for action, with the Latin prefix "in-" meaning "not" appearing in its assimilated form "im-" before the "p."

Synonyms: unrealistically, illogically, infeasibly, unreasonably, absurdly

Antonyms: practically, realistically, reasonably, feasibly, sensibly