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adept

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word adept distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of adept are expert, proficient, skilled, and skillful. While all these words mean "having great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession," adept implies special aptitude as well as proficiency.

adept at doing long division

When is it sensible to use expert instead of adept?

While in some cases nearly identical to adept, expert implies extraordinary proficiency and often connotes knowledge as well as technical skill.

expert in the evaluation of wines

When is proficient a more appropriate choice than adept?

In some situations, the words proficient and adept are roughly equivalent. However, proficient implies a thorough competence derived from training and practice.

proficient in translating foreign languages

In what contexts can skilled take the place of adept?

The words skilled and adept can be used in similar contexts, but skilled stresses mastery of technique.

a skilled surgeon

When might skillful be a better fit than adept?

The meanings of skillful and adept largely overlap; however, skillful implies individual dexterity in execution or performance.

skillful drivers

Examples of adept in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Equally important is the focus on STEM and digital literacy, ensuring students are not only familiar with technology but also adept at using it to solve complex problems. John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Oct. 2024 But the company already has a number of humanoids in its robot ranks, has developed a dexterous human-like hand, and become quite adept at showing off its creations in fun promo videos. Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2024
Noun
Colter’s reluctant guide is crusty Vietnam War vet Ike Fletcher (Brian Cox), a fly-fishing adept who’s gotten too old to venture to the stream alone. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 7 June 2023 Terence Nicholson, the former manager of the gallery and a martial-arts adept, subtracts the pop-culture element with a shadowy video of real kung fu moves. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2023 See all Example Sentences for adept 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'adept.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near adept

Cite this Entry

“Adept.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adept. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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