PRAGMATIC • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Pragmatic

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/prægmˈætɪk/ Listen

adjective

Pragmatical, Pragmatic adj.

1.

Of or pertaining to business or to affairs; of the nature of business; practical; material; businesslike in habit or manner. "The next day... I began to be very pragmatical." "We can not always be contemplative, diligent, or pragmatical, abroad; but have need of some delightful intermissions." "Low, pragmatical, earthly views of the gospel."

2.

Busy; specifically, busy in an objectionable way; officious; fussy and positive; meddlesome. "Pragmatical officers of justice." "The fellow grew so pragmatical that he took upon him the government of my whole family."

3.

Philosophical; dealing with causes, reasons, and effects, rather than with details and circumstances; said of literature. "Pragmatic history." "Pragmatic poetry."

Pragmatic sanction, a solemn ordinance or decree issued by the head or legislature of a state upon weighty matters; a term derived from the Byzantine empire. In European history, two decrees under this name are particularly celebrated. One of these, issued by Charles VII. of France, A. D. 1438, was the foundation of the liberties of the Gallican church; the other, issued by Charles VI. of Germany, A. D. 1724, settled his hereditary dominions on his eldest daughter, the Archduchess Maria Theresa.

noun

Pragmatic n.

1.

One skilled in affairs. "My attorney and solicitor too; a fine pragmatic."

2.

A solemn public ordinance or decree. "A royal pragmatic was accordingly passed."

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Etymology of 'Pragmatic'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Pragmatic" Quotes from Famous Books

... socializing the future leaders in social progress so that their inspiration has been drawn from a concrete knowledge of social problems and from the belief that humanity can, by proper effort, control conditions of living. Then pragmatic results have furthered this belief until inspiration has come from the achievement of results themselves rather than from any recognition of Christian influence in social life. The Christian religion is doubtless responsible for those things most worth while ...

— Church Cooperation in Community Life • Paul L. Vogt

... atheist, but traditionally pragmatic and eclectic; most important elements of religion are Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism; about 2-3% ...

— The 1990 CIA World Factbook • United States. Central Intelligence Agency

... for inspection, the philanthropists, Platitude and Glambe, professed themselves to be entirely satisfied as to their bona fides, and exhibited an eagerness to be of immediate service to the ladies in whatever capacity might be conceived. Mrs. Makebelieve instantly invoked the Pragmatic Sanction; she put the entire matter to the touchstone of absolute verity by demanding an advance of fifty pounds. Her mind reeled as she said the astounding amount, but her voice did not. A check was signed and a clerk dispatched, who returned with eight ...

— Mary, Mary • James Stephens

... and deportment: and in retaliation for being debarred from the comforts of this view, the psychoanalysts have no doubt invented for it some opprobrious explanation. At all events, this Chivalry was a pragmatic hypothesis: it "worked," and served society for a long while, not faultlessly of course, but by creating, like all the other codes of human conduct which men have yet tried, a tragi-comic melee wherein contended "courtesy and humanity, friendliness, hardihood, love and friendship, and ...

— Chivalry • James Branch Cabell

... been brought into popular use to denote the test by which the pragmatists measure all systems, theories and doctrines. The pragmatic inquiry when applied to any system, theory, or doctrine may be understood to mean, "does it meet its claims in practice?" Although much is being made of this phase of pragmatism, the test is as old as the race, and verified by ...

— Satan • Lewis Sperry Chafer

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