1.
in practice; practically; from a practical standpoint
Used to contrast what theoretically or officially ought to be the case with what actually happens in real-world practice. Signals that the speaker is describing how things function on the ground, as opposed to how they are defined on paper.
Compound of 実際 ('actual reality; practice') and the suffix 上 ('on the level of; from the standpoint of'). Frequently paired in contrast with 理論上 ('in theory') or 法律上 ('legally speaking') to distinguish real-world practice from abstract principle.
Usage
- Typically appears at the beginning of a clause as a sentence-level modifier, with or without a following comma.
- Common in academic, legal, business, and technical writing where the gap between rule and practice matters.
- Can also function as a noun modifier: 実際上の問題 ('a practical problem').
- The negative pattern 実際上...ない ('in practice, not...') is especially frequent.
Common collocations
- 実際上問題はない: in practice, there is no problem
- 実際上不可能だ: practically impossible
- 実際上の影響: practical effect
- 実際上の効果: real-world effect
- 理論上と実際上: in theory and in practice
Similar words
- 実際: actually; in reality — the base word; used more broadly in conversation where 実際上 would sound stiff.
- 事実上: in effect; de facto — stresses that something is effectively true even if not formally so; closer to 'for all intents and purposes'.
- 現実的に: realistically speaking — emphasizes feasibility and common sense rather than contrast with theory.
- 理論上: in theory — direct antonym, often used in the same sentence.
- 実用上: for practical use — narrower, focused on hands-on usability of a tool, product, or method.