Make Your Point: PRAXIS

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pronounce PRAXIS:

PRACK sis

connect this word to others:

The odd little word praxis is close cousins with words like practice, practical, prag_____ ("focused on dealing with real-world situations in a no-nonsense way"), and pract______ ("doable or achievable within a certain context").

Can you recall both words with the blanks?

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

The word "praxis" traces back through Latin to a Greek word meaning "acting, doing, or practicing." We've used "praxis" in English since the 1500s. It has two general meanings.

First, praxis can be the actual practice or execution of some skill, art, or area of expertise, as opposed to the theory underlying it, as in "the praxis of chemistry" or "the praxis of public speaking."

Second, praxis can be the actual actions or behaviors of a certain group of people, as opposed to the ideas underlying them, as in "Christian praxis" or "the praxis of fighters for social justice."

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Noun, usually the uncountable kind: "They learned to put theory into praxis;" "Our concern is praxis, not theory."

Sometimes the countable kind: "It's a praxis of social change;" "'Write what you know' is a praxis for all writers."

Other forms:

None are common.

how to use it:

Well... I'm tempted to say, don't! Why not just say "practice" instead? "Praxis" is extremely formal and highly academic. And though it's reasonably common, it's still likely unfamiliar to many readers.

Alright. Let's say, if you're going for a very scholarly tone, you might talk about professionals who put theory into praxis. (But why not just "theory into practice"?) Or you might distinguish between the theories and the praxis of a certain profession. (But why not just "theories and practices"?) Or you might talk about someone following a praxis, demonstrating a praxis, or embodying a praxis. (But why not just "a practice"?)

examples:

"It has become a tired debating point to think abut religion as being a battle between belief and practice, doxa and praxis."
— Julian Baggini, The Guardian, 7 April 2010

"When I watch American Olympians... I’m rooting for the athletes with whom I share a nationality, in appreciation of their devotion and dexterity. Besides, I rarely know the viewpoints of the athletes of any country. It's stupid to conflate citizenship with state praxis."
— Steven Salaita, Salon, 14 February 2014

has this page helped you understand "praxis"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "praxis" without saying "practice, not theory" or "actions, not beliefs."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "For (someone), (doing something) is a praxis where they honor (some particular goal, idea, theory, or tradition)."

Example: "For me, recipe creation is a praxis where I honor and bring to life the teachings, traditional knowledge, and hospitality of my blood and spiritual ancestors by making food."
— Bryant Terry, Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes, 2020

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month is the Game of Venery!

Longtime readers may recognize this game from 2019, when we played with terms from James Lipton's book An Exaltation of Larks. This time, we’ll play with terms from Daniel E. Meyers's online Collective Noun Catalog.

To play, check out the two templates below, and have fun filling them in and sharing your inventions with your family. You can be as lofty, silly, or bawdy as you like. To see the way the terms actually appear in Meyers’s catalog, scroll to the bottom of the issue.

Try these today:

1. an amble of _____

2. a/an _____ of penguins

review this word:

1. The opposite of PRAXIS is

A. THEORY or DOGMA.
B. ANARCHY or CHAOS.
C. PERIPHERY or BORDER.

2. A writer for Forbes says that PayPal has been "embracing... praxis," establishing products and policies that _____.

A. earn the trust of users
B. make sense in the real world of retail
C. trap consumers and merchants in a rigid method of payment

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
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A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PRAXIS

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