Synonyms of pragmatic

pragmatic

adjective

prag-ˈma-tik 

variants also pragmatical

as in practical

willing to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly

a pragmatic man, not given to grand, visionary schemes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• practical
• realistic
• sensible
• rational
• logical
• cynical
• down-to-earth
• matter-of-fact
• reasonable
• hardheaded
• earthy
• grounded
• utilitarian
• sound
• sober
• sane
• skeptical
• commonsensical
• levelheaded
• unsentimental
• disillusioned
• bottom-line
• hard
• unromantic
• no-nonsense
• pessimistic
• tough-minded
• misanthropic
• suspicious
• hard-edged
• distrustful
• idealless
• mistrustful
• sobersided
• philistine
• hard-boiled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• idealistic
• impractical
• unrealistic
• utopian
• visionary
• imaginative
• blue-sky
• romantic
• fanciful
• optimistic
• sentimental
• fantastic
• cheerful
• theoretical
• unreasonable
• irrational
• illogical
• trusting
• insane
• trustful
• rose-colored
• unsuspicious
• half-baked

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pragmatic

Saudi Arabia’s government has reduced its reliance on oil revenue by introducing taxes and fees, but the kingdom’s ambitions have still grown faster than the new sources of revenue forcing the country to become more pragmatic, The New York Times’ Vivian Nereim reports. —Alaa Shahine Salha, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026

Suzanne O’Donnell, an accomplished regional theater actor with a lot of Shakespeare on her resume, plays Penrose as both a warm mothering figure to these two occasionally babyish men but does not downplay the character’s pragmatic side. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026

The only path forward is pragmatic, legally durable reform. —Jacob Mitchell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026

Faced with these constraints, the humanoid industry—in China and beyond—is moving toward a more pragmatic, multi-source method, driven as much by economics as by engineering. —Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026