praxis: M-W's Word of the Day

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The Word of the Day for November 14 is:

praxis \PRAK-sis\ noun
1 : exercise or practicing of an art, science, or skill
2 : customary practice or conduct
*3 : practical application of a theory

Example sentence:
Working in a law office allowed Anne to see firsthand the praxis of the ideas she learned in her classes.

Did you know?
It's one thing to have an idea or knowledge about something, and quite another to turn that knowledge into action; the word "praxis" is often called upon to represent the latter of these. First appearing in English in the 16th century, "praxis" came to our language via Medieval Latin and ultimately derives from the Greek verb "prassein," meaning "to do" or "to practice." That Greek verb also gave us such words as "practical" and "pragmatic." Something that is done as praxis applies an abstract theory toward practical purposes, and for that reason "praxis" is often used in contexts that pointedly contrast it with "theory."

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