expert 1 of 2

Definition of expertnext

expert

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adjective

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word expert distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of expert are adept, proficient, skilled, and skillful. While all these words mean "having great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession," expert implies extraordinary proficiency and often connotes knowledge as well as technical skill.

expert in the evaluation of wines

In what contexts can adept take the place of expert?

The words adept and expert are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, adept implies special aptitude as well as proficiency.

adept at doing long division

When is proficient a more appropriate choice than expert?

While the synonyms proficient and expert are close in meaning, proficient implies a thorough competence derived from training and practice.

proficient in translating foreign languages

When could skilled be used to replace expert?

Although the words skilled and expert have much in common, skilled stresses mastery of technique.

a skilled surgeon

When is it sensible to use skillful instead of expert?

In some situations, the words skillful and expert are roughly equivalent. However, skillful implies individual dexterity in execution or performance.

skillful drivers

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of expert
Noun
Videos shared online are now central to shaping public perception and understanding of events, experts said. Ava Berger, NPR, 28 Jan. 2026 But some experts don’t think the changes will do much to improve the manual. Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
On hard groomers, expert skiers might find the effective edge in the tail shorter than a traditional all-mountain charger—but that’s not the mission here. Jenny Wiegand, Outside, 25 Jan. 2026 Ahead, Miller and Eric Benson, PhD, professor emeritus and extension entomologist at Clemson University, share their expert advice for identifying, exterminating, and preventing bed bugs in your home. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for expert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expert
Noun
  • Dell is her stream's dungeon master, banishing those who don't abide by her terms and steadily rising up the platform's ranks with her sympathetic story and angry-funny screen presence.
    Danielle Parker, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Dogs kept some of their hierarchical instincts, replacing alpha wolves with their human masters.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • McIntosh, a brilliant composer who has a sideline as a virtuoso early-music violinist, revelled in the microtonal shadings that Feldman built into his notation.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Six points clear of Manchester City and Villa, Arsenal can boast form and — for the first time in a while — fitness, with Declan Rice marking his return to the lineup with a virtuoso two-goal display against Bournemouth.
    Jack Bantock, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The skilled direction of performance from the cast.
    Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
  • In the rest of the territory, companies or nations attempting to mine would have to build their own energy grid and transport networks, given the interior’s lack of either, as well as import an entire skilled labor force.
    Tristan Bove, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Two years ago, this would have been fanciful AI guru propaganda.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Each mock-series highlights the strength of its respective star — Miss Piggy is a fashion and pseudo-wellness guru, the Swedish Chef has a cooking program, Honeydew and Beaker blow stuff up, and Statler and Waldorf judge it all via a digital focus group.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The Dynamics of Leadership and Followership The military rigorously develops individuals in both leading and supporting roles, not through blind obedience, but through skillful contribution.
    Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
  • Unlike the times Fidel Castro maneuvered his way out of crises, Cuba’s current leadership has proved less skillful, more prone to inaction, and notoriously less popular than the late Cuban dictator.
    Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • So our agents are very adept at dealing with this.
    Esme Murphy, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
  • But therein lies the challenge for Paramount and reflects Netflix’s adept strategic maneuvering.
    Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 12 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Don’t look too closely behind the curtain because the wizard isn’t a wizard at all.
    Gladys Louise Tyler, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Its lead character is Harry Dresden, a professional wizard operating out of the city of Chicago in a world where ghouls, ghosts, werewolves and vampires exist in the shadows of modern society.
    Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Kelly was already a proficient fundraiser.
    Chris Brennan, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
  • The Villa manager saw a proficient ball carrier who was multi-functional — other coaches retain the view that Rogers can play anywhere from central midfield to up front, provided he is put in positions which harness his best attributes.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Expert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expert. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

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