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adept

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word adept distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of adept are expert, proficient, skilled, and skillful. While all these words mean "having great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession," adept implies special aptitude as well as proficiency.

adept at doing long division

When is it sensible to use expert instead of adept?

While in some cases nearly identical to adept, expert implies extraordinary proficiency and often connotes knowledge as well as technical skill.

expert in the evaluation of wines

When is proficient a more appropriate choice than adept?

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

proficient in translating foreign languages

In what contexts can skilled take the place of adept?

The words skilled and adept can be used in similar contexts, but skilled stresses mastery of technique.

a skilled surgeon

When might skillful be a better fit than adept?

The meanings of skillful and adept largely overlap; 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 adept
Adjective
Our minds, for all their attunement to the nuances of the physical world—the subtle shifts in light, the micro-expressions that move on the faces of other people—are not terribly adept at perceiving those distinctions through the filters of airwaves and screens. Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 29 Apr. 2025 Sando: Chicago stands out with three offensive players drafted among the first 56 picks under an offensive-minded head coach, Ben Johnson, who seems adept at maximizing personnel. The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
Around him, dense as a swarm of tiny insects, float tiny images of fellow adepts engaged in all manner of outré shenanigans. Holland Cotter, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024 Naomi Goggin Switch to island time—and expect transportation snafus Even with two planners, and a bride adept at project management, there was one logistical hurdle that was tough to cross: local transportation. Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for adept
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adept
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
  • Reality does not meet the hype, according to one expert.
    Mike Snider, USA Today, 11 May 2025
  • Higher education is widely viewed by experts as a driver of social mobility, with college graduates typically earning more during their lifetimes than their peers who did not attend college.
    Kate Marijolovic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 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
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
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
  • 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
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
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

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Cite this Entry

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

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