proficient 1 of 2

proficient

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word proficient distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of proficient are adept, expert, skilled, and skillful. While all these words mean "having great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession," proficient implies a thorough competence derived from training and practice.

proficient in translating foreign languages

When might adept be a better fit than proficient?

In some situations, the words adept and proficient are roughly equivalent. However, adept implies special aptitude as well as proficiency.

adept at doing long division

When could expert be used to replace proficient?

The words expert and proficient can be used in similar contexts, but expert implies extraordinary proficiency and often connotes knowledge as well as technical skill.

expert in the evaluation of wines

In what contexts can skilled take the place of proficient?

The synonyms skilled and proficient are sometimes interchangeable, but skilled stresses mastery of technique.

a skilled surgeon

When is it sensible to use skillful instead of proficient?

While the synonyms skillful and proficient are close in meaning, 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 proficient
Adjective
China is proficient at low-cost manufacturing, so the products were already cheap — and not subject to tariffs. Agnes Chang, New York Times, 2 May 2025 President Trump signed an executive order Monday that requires commercial truck drivers in the United States to be proficient in English. Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2025 Being a manager requires being proficient at many skills, and with this incident, Snitker failed at all of them. Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025 Étoile shows extensive dance sequences, requiring the actors to also be proficient dancers. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for proficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proficient
Adjective
  • The area’s labor pool can satisfy practically any employer’s requirements, from upper management, technical and office workers to skilled employees for the production line.
    Rohit Arora, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
  • While patients and providers say teletherapy is effective and easier to get than in-person services, experts in the field noted that teletherapy often requires a skilled mental health practitioner trained to pick up subtle communication cues.
    Phillip Reese, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • Slot shares this staple of Tottenham counterpart Ange Postecoglou’s attacking principles, with Porro adept at tucking inside to disrupt the opposition shape.
    Andy Jones, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The result is that just these English words, representing just this original document, make for a new and somewhat undiscovered book, even to Marxist adepts.
    Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Newton’s jewels are alive with her mastery of design, composition, skillful use of materials, and an instinct for creating irresistible objects.
    Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The show’s real draw is its cast, which expands to include Matthew Rhys as a troubled detective, and a skillful adaptation that highlights the glossiest, cleverest elements of classic Christie—and adds a pinch of eros.
    Judy Berman, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Reality does not meet the hype, according to one expert.
    Mike Snider, USA Today, 11 May 2025
  • Before the move to Philadelphia, FAA experts downplayed safety concerns, concluding the odds of a dangerous communications breakdown were extremely unlikely: 1 in 11 million, according to an internal report obtained by CNN.
    Pete Muntean, CNN Money, 10 May 2025
Adjective
  • His calmness — and that of players, such as hugely experienced goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny — helps the team to keep their heads in the game on occasions.
    Pol Ballús, New York Times, 11 May 2025
  • The series between the Warriors and the Rockets was slow, low scoring, and ugly—which is exactly how the younger, less experienced Rockets wanted it.
    Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 11 May 2025
Noun
  • Padova, his university city, is 20 kilometers from the floating city, and his masters thesis focused on subsidence in Venice.
    Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
  • Jackson Simmonds, a master colorist and stylist in New York City, is the first to recommend at-home solutions that will keep his color clients covered (literally) for a bit longer between their visits to his chair.
    Jenny Berg, Allure, 2 May 2025
Noun
  • Immigration authorities released visiting Georgetown University scholar Badar Khan Suri on Wednesday following a federal judge’s ruling.
    Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 14 May 2025
  • Wednesday's court hearing was attended by dozens of people, including the scholar's family members, friends and colleagues at Georgetown and advocates.
    Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • Become Good At Something In Groundhog Day, Connors appears to relive the same day hundreds of times over; however, throughout the course of the film, Connors learns to speak French and becomes an expert at ice sculpting and a virtuoso pianist.
    Michael Hicks, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
  • During a pivotal moment of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club on Broadway, country virtuoso Orville Peck makes a bold choice.
    Stephen Daw, Billboard, 15 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Proficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proficient. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on proficient

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!