Pragmatic article is in need of editing (9)
I believe the answer is:
realistic
'pragmatic' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'article is in need of editing' is the wordplay.
'in need of editing' indicates anagramming the letters.
'article'+'is'='articleis'
'articleis' anagrammed gives 'REALISTIC'.
(Other definitions for realistic that I've seen before include "Practical; true to life" , "accurate picture" , "Lifelike" , "Down-to-earth" , "Practicable" .)