soft skills

plural noun

: general abilities (such as communication, critical thinking, and adaptability) that rely on qualitative experiences and intuitive learning rather than technical expertise

Perhaps preschool's biggest contribution to students' future success comes in the form of so-called soft skills like learning how to pay attention and stay on task.

—Kayla Webley

especially : interpersonal skills

Being able to talk to folks and use soft skills like listening to what the customer is asking for can make all the difference.

—Ryan Kelly

Most CIOs spend a significant amount of time honing their IT abilities and staying up to date on the latest technologies and trends. Relatively few IT leaders, however, dedicate themselves to refining their soft skills in such critical areas as leadership, collaboration, and team building.

—John Edwards

Examples of soft skills in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And there’s a tangible financial incentive for young grads to successfully leverage AI while pairing it with soft skills. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 29 May 2026

Limiting screen time at school has helped cultivate those soft skills, Ortiz said. —Victoria Le, Oc Register, 29 May 2026

Less visible soft skills, such as active listening, adaptability, emotional regulation and self-awareness, can significantly impact how leaders navigate challenges and support their teams over time. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 29 May 2026

But while having technical AI expertise may currently be a lucrative specialty, educators and career experts emphasize that future workers still need a well-rounded education that emphasizes human-centric soft skills, and some institutions may still need to catch up. —Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 18 May 2026

Scientific American spoke with Elkins-Tanton about leadership, team building and leveraging soft skills in an extremely technical career. —K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 9 May 2026

And so there's a fundamental lack of opportunity to learn the soft skills that a white collar employee needs. —Dana Taylor, USA Today, 6 May 2026

Although hard skills are important, soft skills are just as crucial, according to the guide. —IEEE Spectrum, 6 May 2026

With tasks such as stock now automated, soft skills such as emotional intelligence will become more important. —Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for soft skills

• bluegills
• brazils
• distills
• distils
• foothills
• fulfills
• fulfils
• handbills
• instills
• landfills
• refills
• sandhills