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:
“The main thing is finding something that you enjoy doing, that preferably doesn’t harm others, and that tests whatever aptitude one has, that tests one’s ingenuity,” he said of his approach to life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Lodge is being a bit modest when he plays down his family’s business aptitude.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
Maybe you thought you’d excel at one aspect of the job, but it turns out you have an aptitude for something completely different.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
At a basic level, it resembles a graduate programme for young female drivers who have shown an aptitude in junior levels of karting.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026
A problem with the aptitude tests is rare.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
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
Triplett’s autism diagnosis arose from a detailed 22-page letter sent to a Johns Hopkins researcher in Baltimore containing telling observations by his parents about his aptitudes and behavior.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 16, 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.
