talent

noun

tal·ent | \ˈta-lənt

Definition of talent

1a : a special often athletic, creative, or artistic aptitude

b : general intelligence or mental power : ability

2 : the natural endowments of a person

3 : a person of talent or a group of persons of talent in a field or activity

4a : any of several ancient units of weight

b : a unit of value equal to the value of a talent of gold or silver

5 archaic : a characteristic feature, aptitude, or disposition of a person or animal

Other Words from talent Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about talent

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for talent

gift, faculty, aptitude, bent, talent, genius, knack mean a special ability for doing something. gift often implies special favor by God or nature. the gift of singing beautifully faculty applies to an innate or less often acquired ability for a particular accomplishment or function. a faculty for remembering names aptitude implies a natural liking for some activity and the likelihood of success in it. a mechanical aptitude bent is nearly equal to aptitude but it stresses inclination perhaps more than specific ability. a family with an artistic bent talent suggests a marked natural ability that needs to be developed. has enough talent to succeed genius suggests impressive inborn creative ability. has no great genius for poetry knack implies a comparatively minor but special ability making for ease and dexterity in performance. the knack of getting along

Examples of talent in a Sentence

a singer with an enormous amount of talent I have no musical talent. Her artistic talent has been obvious ever since she was a child. They sang a duet in the talent show . She has a job that makes the most of her talents. His experience, skills, and talents make him perfectly suited for the job. There are many good players on the team, but she's a special talent. The company has hired some expensive legal talent for the trial. The team has recruited some of the best talent around. The company is doing a talent search to find the right person for the job.

Recent Examples on the Web

With new and underrated talent out there, here are the shows to watch out for that could take the Emmys from predictable to competitive if included. — Editors, USA TODAY, "Trump's European visit, Wimbledon, Emmy nominations: 5 things you need to know Thursday," 12 July 2018 The entire cast is filled with talent — specifically trans actors playing trans characters, in their first real major TV roles. — Nina Metz, chicagotribune.com, "Why trans actors should be cast in trans roles," 12 July 2018 The Hurricanes were loaded with NFL talent: Ed Reed, Jeremy Shockey, Jonathan Vilma, Clinton Portis. — Will Mccollister, SI.com, "On the Outside Looking In: The Best Teams to Finish No. 3 in the BCS Era," 11 July 2018 This version of the team, so stacked with young talent, could have broken either way. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "France Advances to the World Cup Final," 10 July 2018 That was a highly immersive way in and with a big A-list talent to talk about climate change. — Recode Staff, Recode, "Full transcript: Nat Geo executives Courteney Monroe, Rachel Webber and Susan Goldberg on Recode Decode," 6 July 2018 Among the remaining favorites in the World Cup are the multiethnic squads of France and Belgium, teeming with talent pulled from poorer suburbs populated by immigrants and minorities. — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, "The World Cup is a celebration of cosmopolitanism, until it isn’t," 4 July 2018 Roster situation James would walk into a mostly empty roster filled with young talent. — Charles Curtis, For The Win, "How the Lakers should convince LeBron James to sign with them," 25 June 2018 According to a thorough account by Recode’s Johana Bhuiyan last year, Kalanick believed the HR division was there largely to recruit and fire talent, not manage interoffice grievances or allegations of sexism and harassment. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, "Uber senior executive resigns after racial discrimination allegations," 11 July 2018

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

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for talent

talent

noun

English Language Learners Definition of talent

: a special ability that allows someone to do something well

: a person or group of people with a special ability to do something well : a talented person or group

: people who are sexually attractive

See the full definition for talent in the English Language Learners Dictionary

talent

noun

tal·ent | \ˈta-lənt

Kids Definition of talent

1 : unusual natural ability … Toby had a special talent for getting people off the hook by making the teacher laugh.— Zilpha Keatley Snyder, The Egypt Game

2 : a special often creative or artistic ability

3 : a person or group of people having special ability