Main Entry: ¹gift

Pronunciation: \ˈgift\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Old Norse, something given, talent; akin to Old English giefan to give

Date: 12th century

1 : a notable capacity, talent, or endowment
2 : something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation
3 : the act, right, or power of giving

synonyms gift, faculty, aptitude, bent, talent, genius, knack mean a special ability for doing something. gift often implies special favor by God or nature <the gift of singing beautifully>. faculty applies to an innate or less often acquired ability for a particular accomplishment or function <a faculty for remembering names>. aptitude implies a natural liking for some activity and the likelihood of success in it <a mechanical aptitude>. bent is nearly equal to aptitude but it stresses inclination perhaps more than specific ability <a family with an artistic bent>. talent suggests a marked natural ability that needs to be developed <has enough talent to succeed>. genius suggests impressive inborn creative ability <has no great genius for poetry>. knack implies a comparatively minor but special ability making for ease and dexterity in performance <the knack of getting along>.