Pragmatic is a word that describes someone who is practical and sensible in their approach to life. They are often more concerned with results and consequences than they are with theories, dogma or ideology. Someone who takes a pragmatic approach is often considered to be a hard-headed person because they are willing to take a reality check before committing to a course of action.
The word pragmatic can also refer to a philosophy that emphasizes the importance of being realistic in solving problems and achieving goals. It can also refer to a political position that is middle of the road and takes arguments from both sides into account rather than a polarizing stand that leans heavily one way or another. Pragmatic can also be used to describe the manner in which a language is used in context, for example a pragmatic stance would be one that avoids ambiguity and makes things as clear as possible.
In the context of language, pragmatics is a subdiscipline that focuses on how meaning is determined in speech and writing. Semantics studies words and their literal meaning, Syntax looks at how sentences are put together and grammatical rules, and Pragmatics studies the ways in which people use language. The study of Pragmatics is not an exact science, and there are two major approaches to the discipline: Relevance Theory and Speech Act Theory.
A key concept in the field of pragmatics is ‘contextual implicature,’ which is the assumption that certain linguistic elements can be implied by a speaker’s actions and attitudes. For example, if someone says “Let’s go,” it is likely that they want to leave. If they add, however, “But I don’t feel like going,” this indicates a desire to stay and consider other options.
Pragmatics is also interested in the notion of’semantic extension,’ which involves adding new meaning to an existing sentence by adding extra details. For example, saying “I can’t wait for you to get here” means the same thing as saying, “I can’t wait to see you.”
The term pragmatic is related to the Greek root pragma, which means to do something. It is important to understand that pragmatics is more than just a set of rules for how to interpret language; it’s an entire way of looking at the world around us.
What Is a Pragmatic Person?
A pragmatic person is someone who can look at a situation and figure out the most reasonable, efficient and effective solution. They are usually well-advised and can pull from lessons learned in the past. A pragmatic person is also willing to consider other viewpoints and doesn’t let ideology or wishful thinking taint their judgment.
In the workplace, a pragmatic employee is someone who can assess a project and its requirements and find solutions that work with the budget, time constraints and resources. A pragmatic employee is a valuable team member who can help bring the group together and make sure everyone’s needs are met.