ex·pert
ˈek-ˌspərt 
: one with the special skill or knowledge representing mastery of a particular subject
ex·pert
ˈek-ˌspərt
ik-ˈspərt
ik-ˈspərt
1
: having, involving, or displaying special skill or knowledge derived from training or experience
2
obsolete
: experienced
expertly
adverb
expertness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of expert in a Sentence
Noun
She was an acknowledged expert on child development.
an expert at planning dinner parties
Adjective
We received some expert advice.
The company has become expert at adapting its products for new clients.
Recent Examples on the Web
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
This stunning blonde created by hairstylist and curly hair expert Leysa Carrillo isn't quite so icy as some versions of platinum, and a subtle shadow root adds depth and dimension.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2024
The bank has identified more than 400 use cases for the technology across marketing, fraud and risk, amassed thousands of AI experts and data scientists and begun exploring deploying generative AI, Dimon said.
—Hannah Levitt, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
To some extent, many creators post on a particular topic with that goal in mind — to become known as an expert.
—Peter Su, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024
Federal and state regulators aren't doing enough to stop the growing problem of rogue health insurance brokers making unauthorized policy switches for Affordable Care Act policyholders, say consumers, agents, nonprofit enrollee assistance groups, and other insurance experts.
—Julie Appleby, NPR, 8 Apr. 2024
Here’s what experts say about the potential effects.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
The sudden, mass emergence of cicadas offers up opportunities for sustainable sustenance, according to experts.
—Andy Fies, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024
Rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River will probably take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars, experts said Wednesday.
—Lori Aratani, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The blessing is that Buckley, Colman, Spall and Vasan are expert enough that dimensional character work still peeks through the vibe of cookie-cutter idiosyncrasy.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Detroit Free Press Learn tips and tricks for getting the best photos of the April 8 total eclipse of the sun from some expert photographers.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 22 Mar. 2024
Nominated by an expert librarian panel and voted on more by than 1,700 librarians worldwide, the winners are all new books that were published in 2023 and are representative of a variety of genres, from fiction to young adult to cookbook to science fiction.
—Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
These creations come from an expert team of bakers who have danced between French, Japanese, Scandinavian, and American flavors and techniques since opening this bakery in 2021.
—The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 13 Mar. 2024
Bibi, who spent his youth in Dakar, worked with African weavers to produce a couch that is free from any nostalgia, just celebrating the tremendous potential that can come from a true mind- and hand-meld with expert local artisans.
—Evan Moffitt, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Keep scrolling Here's expert advice for your first solo trip.
—USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024
But thanks to the expert detail work—those gloves!—this piece from the spring 2024 couture collection would bring a bit of (very welcome) pizzazz.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2024
Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Sew for Love is a group of sewers from the South Bay community–ranging in skill from beginner to expert–who sew a variety of projects that are then donated to people in the community who need them.
—Shae Hammond, The Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2024
Showgoers can look forward to expert bonsai demonstrations, as well as a sale featuring hundreds of trees, plants, pots and other bonsai merchandise offered by SDBC members.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2023
Meanwhile, Los Angeles County area residents can expert unusually warm temperatures on Thursday along the coast and valleys before dipping again over the weekend.
—Andrew J. Campastaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2023
According to the Louisville National Weather Service, a heat wave that began in earnest Monday afternoon is the result of dry southern winds descending on the area, and residents should expert temperatures between 90 and 100 throughout the coming weeks.
—Thomas Birmingham, The Courier-Journal, 13 June 2022
Toby Grey contributes as a How To expert for BGR.
—Toby Grey, BGR, 24 May 2022
Medium-impact activities are somewhere in between, such as more intense cycling, intermediate to expert hikes and elliptical training, to name a few.
—Nicola Fumo, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Jan. 2023
Rather than a full head of highlights distributed uniformly through the hair, French women prefer to get their hair colored with a more freestyle (but still expert) touch.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2023
Noun
Astronomers and other experts instead emphasize that skygazers intent on viewing the upcoming total solar eclipse do so with specialized eyewear crafted to protect their sensitive retinas from permanent damage.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
This stunning blonde created by hairstylist and curly hair expert Leysa Carrillo isn't quite so icy as some versions of platinum, and a subtle shadow root adds depth and dimension.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2024
The bank has identified more than 400 use cases for the technology across marketing, fraud and risk, amassed thousands of AI experts and data scientists and begun exploring deploying generative AI, Dimon said.
—Hannah Levitt, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
To some extent, many creators post on a particular topic with that goal in mind — to become known as an expert.
—Peter Su, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024
Federal and state regulators aren't doing enough to stop the growing problem of rogue health insurance brokers making unauthorized policy switches for Affordable Care Act policyholders, say consumers, agents, nonprofit enrollee assistance groups, and other insurance experts.
—Julie Appleby, NPR, 8 Apr. 2024
Here’s what experts say about the potential effects.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
The sudden, mass emergence of cicadas offers up opportunities for sustainable sustenance, according to experts.
—Andy Fies, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024
Rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River will probably take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars, experts said Wednesday.
—Lori Aratani, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Hemp Source Colorado Botanicals sources its extract from expert hemp growers in Colorado.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The blessing is that Buckley, Colman, Spall and Vasan are expert enough that dimensional character work still peeks through the vibe of cookie-cutter idiosyncrasy.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Detroit Free Press Learn tips and tricks for getting the best photos of the April 8 total eclipse of the sun from some expert photographers.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 22 Mar. 2024
Nominated by an expert librarian panel and voted on more by than 1,700 librarians worldwide, the winners are all new books that were published in 2023 and are representative of a variety of genres, from fiction to young adult to cookbook to science fiction.
—Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
These creations come from an expert team of bakers who have danced between French, Japanese, Scandinavian, and American flavors and techniques since opening this bakery in 2021.
—The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 13 Mar. 2024
Bibi, who spent his youth in Dakar, worked with African weavers to produce a couch that is free from any nostalgia, just celebrating the tremendous potential that can come from a true mind- and hand-meld with expert local artisans.
—Evan Moffitt, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Keep scrolling Here's expert advice for your first solo trip.
—USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024
But thanks to the expert detail work—those gloves!—this piece from the spring 2024 couture collection would bring a bit of (very welcome) pizzazz.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2024
Verb
Rent a cabin for the weekend or try the off-road mountain bike trails, graded from beginner to expert.
—Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Sew for Love is a group of sewers from the South Bay community–ranging in skill from beginner to expert–who sew a variety of projects that are then donated to people in the community who need them.
—Shae Hammond, The Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2024
Showgoers can look forward to expert bonsai demonstrations, as well as a sale featuring hundreds of trees, plants, pots and other bonsai merchandise offered by SDBC members.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2023
Meanwhile, Los Angeles County area residents can expert unusually warm temperatures on Thursday along the coast and valleys before dipping again over the weekend.
—Andrew J. Campastaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2023
According to the Louisville National Weather Service, a heat wave that began in earnest Monday afternoon is the result of dry southern winds descending on the area, and residents should expert temperatures between 90 and 100 throughout the coming weeks.
—Thomas Birmingham, The Courier-Journal, 13 June 2022
Toby Grey contributes as a How To expert for BGR.
—Toby Grey, BGR, 24 May 2022
Medium-impact activities are somewhere in between, such as more intense cycling, intermediate to expert hikes and elliptical training, to name a few.
—Nicola Fumo, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Jan. 2023
Rather than a full head of highlights distributed uniformly through the hair, French women prefer to get their hair colored with a more freestyle (but still expert) touch.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'expert.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
borrowed from French, going back to Middle French, derivative of expert expert entry 2
Adjective
Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin expertus "tested, shown to be true," from past participle of experīrī "to put to the test, attempt, have experience of, undergo" — more at experience entry 1
Verb
derivative of expert entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
1535, in the meaning defined above
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Verb
circa 1889, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of expert was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing expert
Dictionary Entries Near expert
Cite this Entry
“Expert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expert. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
expert
1 of 2 adjective
ex·pert
ˈek-ˌspərt
ik-ˈspərt
ik-ˈspərt
: showing special skill or knowledge gained from training or experience
expert advice
expertly
adverb
expertness
noun
expert
2 of 2 noun
ex·pert
ˈek-ˌspərt
: a person with special skill in or knowledge of a subject
Legal Definition
expert
noun
ex·pert
: a person with special or superior skill or knowledge in a particular area see also expert witness at witness
More from Merriam-Webster on expert
Nglish: Translation of expert for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of expert for Arabic Speakers
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