adept
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
-
very proficient in something requiring skill or manual dexterity
-
skilful; expert
noun
Other Word Forms
- adeptly adverb
- adeptness noun
- nonadept adjective
- nonadeptly adverb
- unadept adjective
- unadeptly adverb
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
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."
Vocabulary lists containing adept
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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The Phantom Tollbooth
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Bright Ideas: Synonyms For "Smart"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He has reportedly built a reputation as a career Apple insider who is decisive, collaborative and adept at navigating the company’s culture.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
Others say the picture is more complicated and that some traders have become more adept at anticipating the president's interventions.
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026
Since the super-rich are adept at concealing their wealth, the actual number is likely much higher.
From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026
Anthropic on Tuesday said its yet-to-be-released artificial intelligence model called Claude Mythos has proven keenly adept at exposing software weaknesses.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
In two days we were fairly adept at matching the colors on our fingers with the colors on the keyboard diagrams.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
