Trivia Time

Which mythological figure was so adept at weaving that she challenged the goddess Athena?

Test Your Knowledge

adept

American  

[uh-dept, ad-ept, uh-dept] / əˈdɛpt, ˈæd ɛpt, əˈdɛpt /

adjective

1. 

   very skilled; proficient; expert.

   an adept juggler.

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noun

• adepts
  plural

1. a skilled or proficient person; expert.

adept British  

adjective

1. very proficient in something requiring skill or manual dexterity

2. skilful; expert

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noun

1. a person who is skilled or proficient in something

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• adeptness
  noun
• nonadept
  adjective
• unadept
  adjective
• adeptly
  adverb
• nonadeptly
  adverb
• unadeptly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• adepts
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of adept

First recorded in 1655–65; from Medieval Latin adeptus “one who has attained (the secret of transmuting metals),” noun use of Latin past participle of adipiscī “to attain to” ( ad- “toward” + -ep- combining form of ap- in aptus + -tus past participle suffix); see ad-, apt

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Explanation

Are you looking for another word to describe a person who is highly skilled, very proficient or expert at something? Try the adjective adept! In the days of Medieval Latin, an adeptus was a person who had learned the secrets of alchemy. Although an adept person today cannot turn lead into gold, the adjective is still high praise meaning "skilled, expert, highly proficient."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

adept adepts

She is adept at receiving serve and what she does in the back row is as valuable as what she does in the front row.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026

OpenAI’s models still may not be as adept as Anthropic’s in coding or other big business applications.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

When you suffer from food poisoning or another stomach bug, the tip of the villi can break off, says Pimentel, making you temporarily less adept at digesting dairy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

“The justice often publicly portrayed as unyielding and inflexible is, behind the scenes, the conservative who is uniquely adept at finding common ground on the most divisive issues.”

From Salon ● Oct. 6, 2026

Finally, and most commonly, we have beasts that are too small, too speedy or too adept at passing for mundane animals to attract a Muggle’s attention—Chizpurfles, Billywigs and Crups fall into this category.

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling

To borrow from “The Big Lebowski,” another cult classic passed around by DVD-owning adepts, say what you will about moron-maxxing, at least it’s an ethos.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

As McKenna told me, western seekers were eager to believe that eastern adepts had supernatural abilities.

From Scientific American ● Dec. 24, 2019

Literature extolling the virtues of silence has been accumulating for millennia, in Hindu and Buddhist scriptures, in sayings of Christian hermits and mystics, in teachings by modern yoga adepts and meditators.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 27, 2017

The Lioness in Winter recounts Burack-Weiss’ coming to terms with life past 70, a quest she pursued by immersing herself in the work of several old female writers she regards as adepts: May Sarton, M.F.K.

From Slate ● Jan. 8, 2016

There are a few genuine adepts present who throw themselves rapturously into the music, eyes shut, arms upraised, waiting, no doubt, for the onset of glossolalia.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

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Related Words

• accomplished
• adroit
• capable
• deft
• proficient
• skilled
• skillful
• versed

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