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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
That was the finding Wednesday by experts at a Miami Herald panel moderated by climate reporters Alex Harris, Denise Hruby and Ashely Miznazi. Jane Wooldridge, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025 Why not enjoy a panel of experts discussing the future of storytelling, or get your portfolio reviewed by a world-class professional artist, or go behind the scenes on one of this year’s blockbuster movies? Terry Flores, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more. Brittney Melton, NPR, 9 Oct. 2025 In a modern society, that third party is an expert regulator who investigates or anticipates problems in their area of expertise and then makes rules designed to solve these problems. Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for expert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expert
Noun
  • Hearing about a shoe designer getting more attention than a professional athlete, Boyle remembered his own company’s involvement with a master of the craft.
    Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2025
  • This Levoit is down 30%, and a master of hair and fur removal.
    Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 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
  • Can Skjei, who’s skilled but had a nightmare first season in Nashville, bounce back?
    Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • But in addition to his reputation as a womanizer, Casanova was also a con man, a skilled liar who came from a family of actors and who over the course of his life manipulated and tricked countless people to maintain wealth and status.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The Norwegian princess married the spiritual guru in a three-day wedding in Norway in August 2024 in a celebration attended by family and friends, including her royal relatives.
    Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
  • As for Stack, the album bumped him into a new stratosphere as a studio guru — one who had racked up credits with HAIM, Empress Of and Kacy Hill, but never a pop star of Lorde’s acclaim.
    Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Ragnar is one of the very best Nordic crime writers, as skillful in thrillers like this series as in murder mystery stories.
    Anders de la Motte, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Setting boundaries requires a balance of self-awareness and skillful communication.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • With the technology becoming increasingly adept at creating convincing crowd scenes, manipulating visuals has never been easier.
    Chloe Veltman, NPR, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Both Reinsve and Skarsgård give towering performances that will not be denied at Oscar time (for Best Actress and Supporting Actor, respectively), given that Neon, which bought the film at Cannes 2024 before production, is adept at playing the awards game.
    Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Look for an enrollment wizard through notifications and in Settings, Microsoft says.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Season 1 of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place saw Justin take the young wizard Billie (played by Janice LeAnn Brown) under his wing and into his family.
    Julia MacCary, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Coming right after Demna is obviously a major challenge for any artistic director, even a very experienced and talented one such as Pierpaolo Piccioli.
    Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The struggle of artistic pursuit against personal and political constraints is a subtext embedded throughout An Unfinished Film.
    Yangyang Cheng, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Expert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expert. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

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