skilled

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adjective \ ˈskild \

Definition of skilled

1 :having acquired mastery of or skill in something (such as a technique or a trade)

skilled in the art of negotiation

2 :of, relating to, or requiring workers or labor with skill and training in a particular occupation, craft, or trade

See skilled defined for English-language learners

See skilled defined for kids

Examples of skilled in a Sentence

a very skilled and talented writer
He is skilled at cooking.
Carpentry is a skilled trade.

Recent Examples of skilled from the Web

What's more, the firms surveyed largely say that the pipeline for skilled workers in Alabama is fair or poor, with inability to pass background checks and drug tests a major concern.

— william thornton, AL.com, "Construction firms struggling to fill hourly craft positions, survey says," 30 Aug. 2017
President Donald Trump’s plan to boost the economy with millions of jobs rebuilding roads, bridges and ports has a snag, the construction industry says: There aren’t nearly enough skilled workers to fill them.

— mark niquette, The Seattle Times, "Trump’s planned building boom bumps up against worker shortage," 29 Aug. 2017
For the United States, the value of skilled statecraft lies in the ability to tie competing nation-states up in knots by engaging their national-security interests in ways that benefit America.

— barry r. posen, The Atlantic, "It's Time To Make Afghanistan Someone Else's Problem," 18 Aug. 2017
The 210 jobs will include production technicians, skilled trades and professional employees.

— grace schneider, The Courier-Journal, "Angering union, GE Appliances moving Louisville hotel refrigeration production to Tennessee," 17 Aug. 2017
The program consists of eight areas of study: Aviation, fire and EMS, police, health care, engineering, youth protection, skilled trade, and media.

— melissa reinert, Cincinnati.com, "Ft. Mitchell offers youth chance to explore policing," 3 Aug. 2017
On Tuesday, the governor’s chief inspector general, Eric Miller, wrote the commission and Mayor Myra Taylor, chastising them for not heeding the oversight board’s advice to pick a skilled outsider.

— jay weaver, miamiherald, "New Opa-locka boss says he wasn’t a witness in kickback case. Records say otherwise.," 26 July 2017
As a result, as many as half the nation’s hospitals, 70 percent of skilled nursing facilities and more than 80 percent of home health agencies would be losing money.

— michael tanner, National Review, "Entitlements Are Out of Control," 19 July 2017
After a bout with the flu last February weakened her enough to need a 10-day hospitalization, she was sent to her village’s skilled nursing facility.

— jordan rau, Kaiser Health News, "Nursing Homes Move Into The Insurance Business," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'skilled.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of skilled

1552

skilled Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of skilled

proficient, adept, skilled, skillful, expert mean having great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession. proficient implies a thorough competence derived from training and practice.

- proficient in translating foreign languages

adept implies special aptitude as well as proficiency.

- adept at doing long division

skilled stresses mastery of technique.

- a skilled surgeon

skillful implies individual dexterity in execution or performance.

- skillful drivers

expert implies extraordinary proficiency and often connotes knowledge as well as technical skill.

- expert in the evaluation of wines

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

SKILLED Defined for English Language Learners

skilled

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adjective

Definition of skilled for English Language Learners

: having the training, knowledge, and experience that is needed to do something : having a lot of skill
: requiring training

SKILLED Defined for Kids

skilled

play

adjective \ ˈskild \

Definition of skilled for Students

1 :having skill

a skilled mason

2 :requiring skill and training

a skilled trade

Learn More about skilled

See words that rhyme with skilled Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for skilled Spanish Central: Translation of skilled Nglish: Translation of skilled for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of skilled for Arabic speakers

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SKILLED Defined for English Language Learners

skilled

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skilled

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