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Preposition after adjective

practicable for vs practicable after

Practicable for is a standard pattern meaning suitable or feasible for a purpose or person. Practicable after is not a usual adjective pattern.

Quick answer

Which form is idiomatic?

Use practicable for to show suitability or feasibility. Practicable after is usually not linked directly to the adjective; after normally introduces a time expression.

The plan is practicable for small businesses.
This route is practicable for winter travel.
Repairs became practicable after the storm ended.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
practicable for + purpose/person

Suitable or feasible

Use for to show who or what something suits.

The system is practicable for remote schools.
2
practicable in + situation

Feasible in a context

In can introduce the conditions where something works.

The method is practicable in rural areas.
3
practicable after + time event

Time adjunct after the adjective

After usually belongs to the clause, not directly to practicable.

Travel became practicable after sunrise.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
practicable for
The proposal is practicable for small teams.
feasible or suitable for someone or something
practicable after
The road was practicable after the repairs.
after introduces time, not a fixed adjective pattern
practicable in
Solar power is practicable in hot climates.
feasible within a context

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Treating after as the normal complement

After usually gives timing information rather than completing the adjective.

✕ The solution is practicable after engineers. ✓ The solution is practicable for engineers.

Using for with a time expression

Use after for events or points in time.

✕ Travel was practicable for the storm. ✓ Travel was practicable after the storm.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The design is practicable ___ local builders.
2. The bridge became practicable ___ the flood.
3. The approach is practicable ___ dense cities.

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Frequently asked questions

What does practicable mean?

It means feasible, workable, or capable of being done.

Is practicable after correct?

Only when after adds time information to the sentence rather than forming a fixed adjective pattern.

Can I use practicable for people?

Yes. For can introduce the people or groups something suits.

packed-with-to-in-on, into "paid for" or "paid up"? painful for, to, in, at or of? "palatable to" or "palatable for"? "pale in" or "pale of"? "pandemic of" or "pandemic in"? "paramount to" or "paramount in"? paranoid about, of, in, with or over? partial to, of, in, towards or for? participating in, of, on, at or for? "particular about" or "particular to"? part-time at, in, for, as or with?

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