aptitude
Americannoun
-
aptitudes
plural
-
capability; ability; innate or acquired capacity for something; talent.
She has a special aptitude for mathematics.
- Synonyms:
- bent, propensity, proclivity, predisposition, faculty, gift
-
readiness or quickness in learning; intelligence.
He was placed in honors classes because of his general aptitude.
- Synonyms:
- acumen
-
the state or quality of being apt; special fitness.
noun
-
inherent or acquired ability
-
ease in learning or understanding; intelligence
-
the condition or quality of being apt
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of aptitude
First recorded in 1400–50; from Late Latin aptitūdō; see origin at apt, -i-, -tude
Explanation
An aptitude is something you're good at. A rock star might have an aptitude for energizing an audience, or for trashing his hotel room. When you have a talent or do something well, people say that you have an aptitude for it. But you don't have to be born with an aptitude; you can also acquire your abilities. You are probably already well acquainted with this word, since the zillions of standardized tests you have taken in school are usually called aptitude tests.
Vocabulary lists containing aptitude
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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The Giver
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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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.
See Examples For:
He was bullish about his ability to sell the concept, but knew he didn’t have the organizational aptitude to actually run a business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Under the program, the U.S. screened Mexicans for aptitude for the work, and for attitude.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
If exams placed greater emphasis on hands-on experience and aptitude, he suggests, schools might adapt their methods and help address India's jobs crisis.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
You are actively engaged in managing more than $600,000 of your assets, roughly a quarter of your overall retirement savings, and appear to have shown an aptitude for doing so.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
My throat tightens as I remember following her into the aptitude test room, my eyes on her hawk tattoo.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
I’d also refrain from comparing him with your other direct report; they are different people with different aptitudes, and one performance doesn’t need to anchor the other.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
A national AI-employment system could provide individual assistance to the unemployed: assessing their aptitudes and interest and matching them with emerging jobs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026
Children can start learning at these levels at different ages, decided by the school depending on "individual needs and aptitudes".
From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2023
The paper's authors add that the results could potentially help better illuminate the learning process, identify the causes behind certain afflictions, and spot sound-related aptitudes.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2023
Lori, because of her good grades and art portfolio, had been accepted into a government-sponsored summer camp for students with special aptitudes.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
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.
