proficiency
noun
pro·fi·cien·cy
prə-ˈfi-shən(t)-sē 
1
: advancement in knowledge or skill : progress
2
: the quality or state of being proficient
Examples of proficiency in a Sentence
surprised by his proficiency at the game after only the briefest explanation of the rules
acquired proficiency at golf through long hours of practice
Recent Examples on the Web
There has been proficiency in the final third, too.
—
Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
And Michigan's third grade reading scores have been stubborn, with the proportion of students scoring proficient or higher declining significantly from 2016 to 2025, from 46% of third graders at or above proficiency a decade ago to 39% on the test this spring.
—Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Fewer than 30% of voucher students who took the test reached proficiency in math, the results show.
—Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025
And neither intelligence nor proficiency with technology is a safeguard against the seductive and deceptive aspects of a chatbot.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proficiency
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Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
And Michigan's third grade reading scores have been stubborn, with the proportion of students scoring proficient or higher declining significantly from 2016 to 2025, from 46% of third graders at or above proficiency a decade ago to 39% on the test this spring.
—Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Fewer than 30% of voucher students who took the test reached proficiency in math, the results show.
—Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025
And neither intelligence nor proficiency with technology is a safeguard against the seductive and deceptive aspects of a chatbot.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proficiency
Cite this Entry
“Proficiency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proficiency. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
proficiency
noun
pro·fi·cien·cy
prə-ˈfish-ən-sē
plural proficiencies
: the quality or state of being proficient
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