Guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory:
— A hard-nosed labor leader.

synonyms: hardheaded, practical, pragmatic.

Roget 739: severe; strict, hard, harsh, dour, rigid, stiff, stern, rigorous, uncompromising, exacting, exigent, exigeant^†, inexorable, inflexible, obdurate, austere, hard-headed, hard-nosed, hard-shell [U.S.], relentless, Spartan, Draconian, stringent, strait-laced, searching, unsparing, iron-handed, peremptory, absolute, positive, arbitrary, imperative; coercive etc. 744; tyrannical, extortionate, grinding, withering, oppressive, inquisitorial; inclement etc. (ruthless) 914.1; cruel etc. (malevolent) 907; haughty, arrogant etc. 885; precisian^†.    ... show more

Roget 823: insensible, unconscious; impassive, impassible; blind to, deaf to, dead to; unsusceptible, insusceptible; unimpressionable^†, unimpressible^†; passionless, spiritless, heartless, soulless; unfeeling, unmoral.    apathetic; leuco-^†, phlegmatic; dull, frigid; cold blooded, cold hearted; cold as charity; flat, maudlin, obtuse, inert, supine, sluggish, torpid, torpedinous^†, torporific^†; sleepy etc. (inactive) 683; languid, half-hearted, tame; numbed; comatose; anaesthetic etc. 376; stupefied, chloroformed, drugged, stoned; palsy-stricken.    indifferent, lukewarm; careless, mindless, regardless; inattentive etc. 458; neglectful etc. 460; disregarding.    unconcerned, nonchalant, pococurante^†, insouciant, sans souci [Fr.]; unambitious etc. 866.    unaffected, unruffled, unimpressed, uninspired, unexcited, unmoved, unstirred, untouched, unshocked^†, unstruck^†; unblushing etc. (shameless) 885; unanimated; vegetative.    callous, thick-skinned, hard-nosed, pachydermatous, impervious; hardened; inured, casehardened; steeled against, proof against; imperturbable etc. (inexcitable) 826^†; unfelt.    ... show more

Polish: pragmatyczny