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

Synonyms of proficiency

• mastery
• experience
• IQ
• mastership
• command

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

The dramatic swings in literacy proficiency have sent shockwaves through the education community. — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026

Google says training across languages, dialects, and different proficiency levels helped the model learn structures shared between sign languages. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026

Developing proficiency in this process generally requires extensive training and experience across numerous cases. — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026

In the three interviews Kersanava conducted with AI avatar applicants, the candidates had applied for English-speaking roles as non-native speakers, leaning on AI as a crutch for a lack of language proficiency. — Jake Angelo, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for proficiency

• deficiency
• efficiency
• sufficiency
• immunodeficiency
• inefficiency
• insufficiency

Kids Definition

proficiency

noun

pro·​fi·​cien·​cy prə-ˈfish-ən-sē 

plural proficiencies

: the quality or state of being proficient