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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
However, some experts question the validity of these testing measures. Barbie Cervoni, Verywell Health, 7 Nov. 2025 To prevent conditions such as osteoporosis, experts recommend prioritizing strength training, and weighted vests are a great way to do so. Jessie Quinn, Flow Space, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
At Vi at Aventura, a vibrant independent living retirement community, residents embrace this spirit year-round, from enjoying meals crafted by their expert culinary team to sharing moments and activities that bring neighbors together. Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025 Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more. NPR, 30 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for expert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expert
Noun
  • Cowley graduated in 1920, and for a year and a half lived an adventurous, impecunious Grub Street life in New York, before a fellowship took him, now married, back to France for a master’s in French.
    Michael Gorra, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Rosewood Amsterdam, for example, is an art gallery in its own right, with an expansive collection of more than 1,000 artworks that spotlight both new-generation talent and Dutch masters.
    Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Kirk Baxter’s arrhythmic cutting is designed around quicksilver shifts that, along with Barry Ackroyd’s restlessly attentive, mostly handheld camerawork, allow Bigelow to redirect our attention with virtuoso command.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • No army in history seemed ever to have been more ragged and motley and mongrel and polyglot than the Continental, rich and poor, learned and illiterate, from boys to old men, skilled and unskilled, born all over the world, speaking dozens of languages, believing in different gods and in no god.
    Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
  • China is increasingly leading the US as the center of global research, and cuts and restrictions on skilled migration are hampering Washington’s fightback.
    Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Most claims made by health gurus and social-media influencers are exaggerated.
    Jason Liebowitz, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Elisabeth Moss plays a former sitcom star who, after losing one too many jobs to younger actresses, comes under the sway of a powerful wellness guru (Kate Hudson) but begins to sense something sinister afoot.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Kayla Poirier didn’t get the glory that comes associated with scoring a goal, but without a couple skillful touches by the senior, Mahtomedi would no longer have a chance to repeat as state champions.
    Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025
  • The skillful craftsmanship of the artists is amazing, and the story is also great.
    Billboard Japan, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Beath attempted to get the adept electrician to comment on the crash.
    Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
  • This year, job advertisements have been soaring for a new specialist software developer who can write code, but also is adept at talking to customers.
    John Kell, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Filming has been ongoing for months in the UK on the Harry Potter series, which will star Dominic McLaughlin as the titular Hogwarts wizard.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The Ringbrothers Kingpin was unveiled at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show (SEMA) in Las Vegas, which is a haven for aftermarket wizards, tuners, and auto tinkerers of all stripes.
    Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Being a proficient reader by the end of the third grade is a significant milestone, marked by many experts as a crucial point in a child’s life where not reaching that benchmark could lead to them struggling later in life.
    Caroline Beck, IndyStar, 5 Nov. 2025
  • From techniques like deep-plane facelifts to the use of innovations such as tranexamic acid for safer, more technically proficient procedures, the field continues to evolve toward precision and care.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Expert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expert. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.

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