Do you know what praxis means? Or where the word comes from? This article will tell you everything you need to know about the meaning of praxis.
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Kevin
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April 24, 2022
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The English language is chock-full of interesting words, such as praxis. What does this term mean and how is it used in a sentence, you ask? We’ll tell you. Read on as we explore the word praxis to uncover its definition, origin, and more. Are you ready?
Let’s dive in!
What Is the Definition of Praxis?
The noun praxis is used when you are talking formally with others about putting a theory into practice. Deriving from the Medieval Latin prāxis (which literally meant doing or action), it is easy to see how praxis’s etymology can help us better infer its current meaning.
Collins English Dictionary defines praxis as an accepted practice or custom, essentially something in reality rather than in theory. Praxis is also widely used in philosophy and has been since Ancient Greek times, used to reference the synthesis of theory and practice.
In philosophy, praxis is a frequently discussed topic and is discussed in the writings of Paulo Freire, Aristotle, Karl Marx, St. Augustine, and Immanuel Kant, just to name a few.
Freire, for example, defines praxis as an action and reflection directed at structures to be transformed in his book “Pedagogy of the Oppressed.”
The plural form of our word of the day is praxes in the U.S., pronounced ˈprak-ˌsēz.
What Is the Etymology of Praxis?
The origin of our word of the day starts with Medieval Latin and Greek words of the same spelling: praxis. The noun praxis also has the base of prā́ssein and prattein, both Ancient Greek words with the same meaning to act or to do.
In Ancient Greek πρᾶξις (later Romanized to praxis) was used by many in the field of philosophy to reference an activity the free people performed. Greek philosopher and polymath Aristotle believed that as humans we had three basic activities; making (poiesis), doing (praxis), and thinking (theoria).
What Are the Synonyms and Antonyms of Praxis?
In an attempt to avoid being repetitive in long-winded conversations and written papers that seem to go on and on, it’s best practice to use synonyms. These words, phrases, and abbreviations with a similar or the same meaning are also helpful tools for memorizing the definition of the word of the day!
These synonyms are provided by Power Thesaurus:
- Practice
- Hang-up
- Custom
- Way of doing things
- Established practice
- Tradition
- Accepted practice
- Usance
- Modus operandi
- Convention
- Method of working
- Consuetude
- Matter of course
- Habitude
- Beaten path
- Pattern
- Daily grind
- Routine
- Way of life
- Social conduct
- Ceremonial
- Habit
- Custom and practice
- Characteristic
- Second nature
By showing us what a word does not mean, antonyms help us understand the definition of words in their own unique way. If you are trying to convey to others that you oppose a message, crack open your thesaurus and utilize all the listed abbreviations, words, and phrases with the opposite meanings.
The below antonyms are also provided by Power Thesaurus:
- Break from tradition
- Blindness
- Aberration
- Deviation
- Digression
- Bad manners
- Discord
- Indecency
- Chaos
- Mismanagement
- Disorganization
- Deflection
- Variance
- Irregularity
- Unscrupulousness
- Bad taste
How Can You Use Praxis in a Sentence?
Now, it’s time to see today’s word of the day in action. Quiz yourself and try to see how many ways you can use praxis in a sentence!
By testing ourselves through practical usage of the noun praxis, we can better understand its meaning. Below you will find a few examples of praxis used in a sentence:
Essentially, the praxis of growing up in New York is to not only run to that cab, but take no prisoners on the way there.
We may be looked on as slow learners, but by using critical thinking skills, we were all able to engage in regular praxis.
hope you pass the Praxis exam next week so you get into the graduates program with me.
Their politics were changed in praxis almost completely.
Believe it or not, there was no gap between the woman’s praxis and her faith.
Would you be a dear and fetch me the dictionary; I need to look up the English term praxis.
Is it a common praxis in your area to just walk into a random house and always find an Unabridged Collins English Dictionary? Well, after going three for three, I believe it!
What Are Translations of Praxis?
In today’s digital society, we have access to chatting about our ideas and theories with friends and peers worldwide at any given moment. In fact, “praxis” can be translated into languages around the world!
Below we have included a list of translations of Praxis:
- Italian — prassi
- Spanish — práctica
- Turkish — praxis
- Indian — अमल
- Chinese — 實踐
- Filipino — praksis
- Russian — практика
- German — praxis
- Arabic — التطبيق العملي
- Japanese — 実践
- Hebrew — פרקסיס
- Macedonian — Праксис
Recap
In short, praxis refers to taking the knowledge you have gained about a certain skill and applying that knowledge to practical use. Praxis is an established practice or set of traditions.
Sources:
- Praxis | Cambridge English Dictionary
- Praxis synonyms – 293 Words and Phrases for Praxis | Power Thesaurus
- What is another word for praxis? | Praxis Synonyms | WordHippo Thesaurus
- Praxis definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
- American Heritage Dictionary Entry: praxis | The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
