Synonym Chooser

How is the word skilled distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of skilled are adept, expert, proficient, and skillful. While all these words mean "having great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession," skilled stresses mastery of technique.

a skilled surgeon

When might adept be a better fit than skilled?

The synonyms adept and skilled are sometimes interchangeable, but adept implies special aptitude as well as proficiency.

adept at doing long division

When can expert be used instead of skilled?

The meanings of expert and skilled largely overlap; however, expert implies extraordinary proficiency and often connotes knowledge as well as technical skill.

expert in the evaluation of wines

When is it sensible to use proficient instead of skilled?

In some situations, the words proficient and skilled are roughly equivalent. However, proficient implies a thorough competence derived from training and practice.

proficient in translating foreign languages

When could skillful be used to replace skilled?

While in some cases nearly identical to skilled, 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 skilled Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure the genetic material. Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2025 The Saint-Avold region is strategically located and boasts a skilled workforce and mature logistics infrastructure. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 19 May 2025 Because when these Knicks play like this — urgent, connected, relentless — there’s no opponent too skilled or seasoned to bring them back down to earth. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025 Recruiting and retaining a skilled clinical workforce has never been more competitive. Dr. Denis Lafreniere, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for skilled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skilled
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
Adjective
  • This approach ensures not only a solid initial return but also ongoing growth in value as your organization becomes adept at harnessing the full potential of agentic AI.
    Sanjay Gidwani, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
  • The Chinese have been particularly adept at securing those supply chains, Allain noted.
    Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 6 May 2025
Adjective
  • As the size and complexity of solar assets increased, the provision of proficient O&M and asset management services became imperative for ensuring optimal performance.
    Joern Hackbarth, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
  • First, is the acknowledgment by the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education (the Kirwan Commission) that, per the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) 2021 assessment, only 35% of Grade 3-8 students are proficient in English, just 15% in math.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 13 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
Adjective
  • The long-running film franchise first started with 1993's Sniper starring Tom Berenger as expert American gunner Thomas Beckett.
    Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 10 May 2025
  • As of Thursday, expert predictions centered on a likely reentry of Kosmos 482 early Saturday.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • Oceanfront Royal Suite + Star Prestige: Top-Tier Taste, Tailored to You For travelers with a practiced palate and a preference for the top tier, JOIA Aruba’s Oceanfront Royal Suite hits every high note.
    Ashlee Marie Preston, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
  • The Olduvai Gorge bones, however, don’t appear to have been shaped at random, but instead display a uniformity indicating a practiced methodology and strategy.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Skilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skilled. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on skilled

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