technique

noun

tech·​nique tek-ˈnēk 

1

: the manner in which technical details are treated (as by a writer) or basic physical movements are used (as by a dancer)

also : ability to treat such details or use such movements

good piano technique

2

a

: a body of technical methods (as in a craft or in scientific research)

b

: a method of accomplishing a desired aim

Synonyms

• method
• approach
• strategy
• methodology
• way

Examples of technique in a Sentence

We learned some techniques for relieving stress.

I used a special technique to make the bread.

The players need to practice in order to improve their technique.

a dancer with excellent technique

The ice-skaters will be judged on technique and creativity.

Recent Examples on the Web

The look is reminiscent of The Suit, Demi Moore's famous 1992 Vanity Fair cover, which uses the same trompe-l'œil technique of creating the illusion of clothing. —Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025

People would devote entire dissertations to developing techniques for distinguishing handwritten digits or for recognizing faces in images; then a deep-learning algorithm would digest the underlying data, discover the subtleties of the problem, and make those projects seem obsolete. —James Somers, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

Color drenching is the technique of coating a space in a single hue, creating a bold, monochromatic, and often maximalist effect. —Maya Chawla, Architectural Digest, 3 Nov. 2025

Images and texts were engraved into the stone with a technique called intaglio. —Serdar Yalçin, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, "technical nature, branch of knowledge, body of technical methods, way of doing something," feminine noun derivative of technique, adjective, "technical," borrowed from New Latin technicus "of the arts or sciences" — more at technical entry 1

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for technique

• antique
• batik
• bespeak
• boutique
• cacique
• comique
• critique
• grosbeak
• midweek
• mystique
• oblique
• physique

Kids Definition

technique

noun

tech·​nique tek-ˈnēk 

1

a

: the manner in which details are treated (as by a writer) or basic physical movements are used (as by a dancer)

b

: ability to treat such details or use such movements

perfect piano technique

2

a

: technical methods especially in scientific research

laboratory technique

b

: a method of accomplishing a desired aim

a technique for handling complaints

Medical Definition

technique

noun

tech·​nique tek-ˈnēk 

: a method or body of methods for accomplishing a desired end

new surgical techniques