1
as in mastery
a highly developed skill in or knowledge of something surprised by his proficiency at the game after only the briefest explanation of the rules

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2
as in skills
knowledge gained by actually doing or living through something acquired proficiency at golf through long hours of practice

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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 proficiency Humana claimed in its lawsuit that the ratings were calculated unfairly, as they were based on a CMS test of its phone support for people with limited English proficiency. Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025 From 2022 to 2024, the reading proficiency rate for online students dropped 5 percentage points, and the rate for math fell by 10, both to well below the state and Gallup-McKinley averages, according to the district. Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 14 Oct. 2025 Even improved proficiency with AI doesn’t reliably mitigate the automation bias. Nelson Lim, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025 After the first group of trainees, mostly middle-class, English-speaking, and with military connections, more and more refugees coming from more rural areas or with lower proficiency levels also entered the industry. Arabelle Sicardi, Allure, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for proficiency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proficiency
Noun
  • Santa Margarita’s boys water polo team showed its mastery of the shot on Wednesday.
    Dan Albano, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Daniel Naroditsky, a chess grandmaster who built a global following through his accessible teaching style and blitz chess mastery, died unexpectedly at 29, his family announced Monday.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • However, George has size, shooting ability and a pretty good feel for defense, plus enough ball skills to make it as a long-term combo forward.
    John Hollinger, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • And, like Matt Reeves' The Batman, these are rare canon films that emphasize the hero's world-class detective skills.
    Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.
    Walden Green, Pitchfork, 24 Oct. 2025
  • All statements reflect our direct experience and verified documentation.
    Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • After all, members of the medical community spend years accumulating expertise.
    Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The expertise and skills of health staff cannot be replaced overnight.
    Anna Halford, Time, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Studies that compare genetic variation between pairs of siblings have been able to better control for socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as parenting practices and ethnicities; in these studies, the direct effects of DNA on IQ look even smaller, still with no hint of a biological mechanism.
    Eric Turkheimer, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2025
  • There are four purification speeds and a Clean Sense IQ monitor that automatically adjusts power depending on air quality.
    Nora Colomer may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Barclays Plc is returning to Saudi Arabia after an 11-year absence, marking both a strategic expansion for the British lender and a symbolic validation of Riyadh’s growing status as the Middle East’s corporate command hub.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Under the command of the unflappable Ernest McSorley, its veteran captain, the Fitz broke shipping records and tallied enormous profits.
    Kevin Duchschere, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Proficiency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proficiency. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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