Pragmatic: meaning, definitions and examples

Best used when referring to someone who is focused on dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical considerations.

• She took a pragmatic approach to solving the problem, avoiding any unnecessary steps.
• Being pragmatic, he decided to focus on immediate solutions rather than theoretical ones.

Applicable when describing someone who is more concerned with the actual doing or use of something rather than with theory and ideas.

• She has a very practical approach to problem solving.
• Because of his practical skills, he was able to fix the car quickly.

Best used when someone understands and accepts facts without being influenced by emotion or illusion, often leading to the setting of achievable goals.

• Setting realistic goals helps in achieving them without unnecessary stress.
• He has a realistic view of the challenges ahead.

Used to describe actions that show good judgment and practicality, often in a reasonable and careful manner.

• It was a sensible decision to carry an umbrella on a cloudy day.
• Being sensible, he saved money for emergencies.

Used to describe actions or thoughts that follow clear, rational principles or reasoning.

• His argument was very logical and hard to refute.
• She made a logical decision based on the data provided.

Ideal for situations where someone or something is able to achieve maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.

• The new system is highly efficient, reducing processing time by half.
• She is very efficient at her job, completing tasks quickly and accurately.

Pragmatic is used when focusing on practical and realistic approaches rather than theoretical ones. It is often used in discussions involving problem-solving, decision-making, and business strategies.

• She took a pragmatic approach to the situation, focusing on immediate results.
• The manager's pragmatic mindset helped the team to achieve their targets effectively.

Truth-functional is a term used in logic and philosophy to describe logical connectives that produce a truth value based on the truth values of their components. It is a very technical term and is mostly used in academic and scholarly discussions.

• In truth-functional logic, the truth value of a complex statement is determined by the truth values of its parts.
• The truth-functional analysis revealed the logical structure of the argument.