practice
practice — 名詞
1. repeating an activity many times so that you slowly become better at it; also a
練習
重複做以提升技能；練習時段
repeating an activity many times so that you slowly become better at it; also a session set aside for this kind of repeated work, such as a piano lesson or team training.
Sofia needs more practice before her piano exam in June.
Sofia 在六月的鋼琴考試前需要更多練習。
uncountable: more practice
Football practice starts at four and ends at six on weekdays.
平日的足球練習從四點開始、六點結束。
compound: football practice
With daily practice, Marcus's Chinese has improved a lot this year.
靠著每天的練習，Marcus 的中文今年進步很多。
The coach was angry because three players missed yesterday's practice.
教練很生氣，因為昨天的練習有三個球員缺席。
Grandpa Wei hasn't played tennis for years, so he is a bit out of practice.
Grandpa Wei 好幾年沒打網球了，所以他有點生疏。
文法句型
practice for + activity
go to practice
用法筆記
Use uncountable when talking about the activity in general ('more practice'), countable when talking about a specific session ('today's practice'). Distinguish from sense 3: that sense names the workplace of a doctor or lawyer, not training.
常見錯誤
2. a way of behaving or doing something that a group of people follows again and ag
慣例；習俗
群體經常重複的做法
a way of behaving or doing something that a group of people follows again and again, treating it as normal or expected.
Tipping the waiter twenty percent is common practice in New York restaurants.
在紐約的餐廳，給服務生百分之二十的小費是常見慣例。
collocation: common practice
The Watanabe family follows the old practice of cleaning the house before the new year.
Watanabe 一家依循過年前打掃房子的舊習俗。
the practice of + -ing
Many farmers want to end the practice of burning fields after harvest.
許多農夫想結束收成後焚燒農田的做法。
It is standard practice at St. Mary's Hospital for nurses to check a patient's name twice.
在 St. Mary's Hospital，護理師會把病人姓名再核對一次，這是標準做法。
- custom
often tied to culture or tradition
- habit
typically about one person, not a group
- convention
more formal; an unwritten social rule
文法句型
common practice
the practice of doing something
用法筆記
Often modified by 'common', 'standard', 'normal', 'best', or 'unfair'. Distinguish from sense 1 (training): this sense is about a custom or rule of behaviour, not about repeated drills to improve a skill.
常見錯誤
3. the work or office of a doctor, dentist, or lawyer, including the customers or p
診所；事務所
醫師或律師的執業處所與業務
the work or office of a doctor, dentist, or lawyer, including the customers or patients they regularly serve.
Dr. Tanaka set up a small dental practice on the corner of Park Street.
Dr. Tanaka 在 Park Street 街角開了一間小型牙科診所。
collocation: dental / medical / legal practice
After thirty years, the lawyer sold her practice to a younger partner.
三十年後，那位律師把事務所賣給了一位較年輕的合夥人。
The family doctor's practice is closed every Sunday and on public holidays.
這位家庭醫師的診所每週日和國定假日都休診。
Lina joined a busy medical practice with six other doctors last month.
Lina 上個月加入了一間有六位醫師的繁忙診所。
文法句型
a [field] practice
set up / run a practice
用法筆記
Subject collocates are usually 'medical', 'dental', 'legal', 'group', 'private', or 'family'. Distinguish from sense 1 (training): you 'go to practice' for sport, but you 'go to a practice' (meaning a clinic) for a check-up.
常見錯誤
4. the activity of applying an idea, theory, skill, or method in real life through
實踐；實行
把想法或計畫付諸行動
the activity of applying an idea, theory, skill, or method in real life through hands-on action, rather than only studying or talking about it.
Maya wanted to put her management theories into practice at her new restaurant.
Maya 想把她的管理理論在新餐廳實踐出來。
collocation: put [something] into practice
Sofia's nursing course mixes ten hours of lectures with twenty hours of practice in the hospital ward.
Sofia 的護理課程包含十小時的講課，加上在病房裡二十小時的實作。
Marcus is good at writing safety rules, but weaker on the practice side.
Marcus 很會寫安全規定，但在實踐方面比較弱。
Aunt Rosa wrote a careful budget on Sunday, but the practice in her noisy kitchen looked very different.
Aunt Rosa 週日仔細寫好預算，但在她吵雜的廚房裡實踐起來卻完全是另一回事。
- application
more formal; emphasizes using a method or rule
- implementation
formal; the act of putting a plan into effect
- theory
the ideas behind an activity, not the activity itself
文法句型
in practice
put something into practice
用法筆記
Often paired with the verb 'put' in the fixed pattern 'put X into practice'. Distinguish from sense 5 ('in practice'), which is an adverbial phrase about reality, not about applying ideas.
常見錯誤
5. what really takes place in a situation, especially when it differs from what peo
實際上
實際發生的情況，與預期相對
what really takes place in a situation, especially when it differs from what people expected, planned, or said would happen.
On paper the new school fee rule sounds fair, but in practice it punishes poorer families.
新的學費規定書面上看起來公平，但實際上對較貧困的家庭比較不利。
fixed phrase: in practice (contrastive)
The new shortcut through Maple Street should save time, though in practice the morning bus is often late.
走 Maple Street 的新捷徑應該能省時間，但實際上早上的公車經常誤點。
In theory every child gets a free meal; in practice, many schools run out of food.
理論上每個孩子都有免費餐點，實際上很多學校的食物根本不夠。
BrightShop promises quick refunds, but in practice customers in Taipei wait for weeks.
BrightShop 承諾快速退款，但實際上台北的客人要等好幾週。
- in reality
very close in meaning; slightly more general
- actually
adverb; used for the same contrast in less formal speech
文法句型
in practice
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'in practice', usually as a contrast with 'in theory', 'on paper', or a stated promise. Distinguish from sense 4: this sense describes a real outcome, not the act of applying something.
常見錯誤
6. the action of doing something on a regular basis, often used in the phrase 'make
習慣做法
個人或機構規律進行某事
the action of doing something on a regular basis, often used in the phrase 'make a practice of' to talk about a personal rule or routine.
Lina makes a practice of calling her grandmother every Sunday morning.
Lina 養成每週日早上打電話給奶奶的習慣。
fixed pattern: make a practice of + -ing
Greenhill Primary does not make a practice of letting students leave early on Fridays.
Greenhill 小學沒有讓學生在週五提早離校的慣例。
Carlos has made a practice of saving ten percent of every paycheck.
Carlos 養成了每筆薪水都存下百分之十的習慣。
The judge made a practice of arriving at the courtroom thirty minutes early.
那位法官有提早三十分鐘到法庭的習慣。
文法句型
make a practice of doing something
用法筆記
Almost always inside the fixed pattern 'make a practice of + -ing'. Distinguish from sense 2: that sense names a group custom, while this one names a personal or institutional routine someone has chosen to follow.
常見錯誤
practice — 動詞
1. to do an action or activity many times, by yourself or with a teacher, so that y
練習；訓練
反覆做某事以變得更熟練
to do an action or activity many times, by yourself or with a teacher, so that you slowly become better at it.
Sofia practices the violin for an hour before school every morning.
Sofia 每天上學前都會練小提琴一小時。
practice + noun (instrument)
The team practices passing and shooting on the field every Tuesday.
球隊每週二在球場上練習傳球和射門。
practice + -ing
Carlos wants to speak Spanish well, so he practices with his Mexican neighbour every Friday evening.
Carlos 想把西班牙文說好，所以每週五晚上都和墨西哥籍的鄰居練習。
Marcus practiced his speech in front of the bathroom mirror three times.
Marcus 對著浴室鏡子練了三遍演講稿。
The young actors practiced for the school play every afternoon last week.
上週每天下午，年輕演員們都在為學校話劇排練。
文法句型
practice + noun
practice + -ing
practice for + event
用法筆記
In American English, both the noun and the verb are spelled 'practice'. In British English, the verb is 'practise' and the noun is 'practice'. Object can be a skill (the piano), an action (passing), or absent ('the team practices on Tuesdays').
常見錯誤
2. to work as a doctor, lawyer, or in another job that needs years of training and
執業；從事
以醫師或律師等專業身分工作
to work as a doctor, lawyer, or in another job that needs years of training and an official licence.
Dr. Tanaka has practiced medicine in this town for over thirty years.
Dr. Tanaka 在這個小鎮行醫已經超過三十年。
practice + medicine / law / dentistry
Lina passed the bar exam last summer and now practices law in Boston.
Lina 去年夏天通過律師考試，現在在 Boston 執業。
Carlos was not allowed to practice as a dentist after losing his licence.
Carlos 失去執照後，就不能再以牙醫身分執業了。
After medical school, Maya chose to practice in a busy Chicago clinic rather than her quiet hometown.
醫學院畢業後，Maya 選擇在芝加哥一間繁忙的診所執業，而不是回到她寧靜的家鄉。
- retire from
to stop practicing a profession
文法句型
practice + profession (law, medicine)
practice as + noun
用法筆記
Object is almost always 'law', 'medicine', 'dentistry', or another regulated profession. Subject is usually a person with formal qualifications. Often paired with 'as a doctor / lawyer / dentist' when the profession is not the object.
常見錯誤
3. to live by a religion, belief, or set of values by acting on it again and again
信奉；奉行
以行動實踐宗教或價值觀
to live by a religion, belief, or set of values by acting on it again and again in daily life.
Maya's grandparents practice Buddhism and visit the temple every weekend.
Maya 的祖父母信奉佛教，每個週末都會去寺廟。
practice + religion
Marcus practices kindness by carrying his neighbour's groceries up the stairs every Saturday.
Marcus 每週六都幫鄰居把雜貨提上樓，藉此身體力行善意。
practice + abstract noun (value)
Many people in this village still practice the old farming methods of their grandparents.
這個村莊裡許多人仍然奉行祖父母那一輩的舊耕作方式。
Mr. Lee practices honesty by telling his students when he gets a quiz answer wrong.
Mr. Lee 答錯小考題時會主動告訴學生，藉此奉行誠實。
- abandon
to stop following a religion or tradition
文法句型
practice + religion / belief
practice + value
用法筆記
Object is usually a religion (Buddhism, Islam), a value (honesty, patience), or a tradition (old methods). Distinguish from sense 1 (training): here you are not getting better at something — you are simply living by it as a rule.