expert

[ noun verb ek-spurt; adjective ek-spurt, ik-spurt ]

noun

1. a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field; specialist; authority:

   a language expert.

   Synonyms: master, connoisseur

2. Military.
   1. the highest rating in rifle marksmanship, above that of marksman and sharpshooter.
   2. a person who has achieved such a rating.

adjective

1. possessing special skill or knowledge; trained by practice; skillful or skilled (often followed by in or at ):

   an expert driver;

   to be expert at driving a car.

   Synonyms: dexterous, proficient, experienced

   Antonyms: unskillful

2. pertaining to, coming from, or characteristic of an expert:

   expert work;

   expert advice.

verb (used with object)

1. to act as an expert for.

expert

/ ˈɛkspɜːt /

noun

1. a person who has extensive skill or knowledge in a particular field

adjective

1. skilful or knowledgeable
2. of, involving, or done by an expert

   an expert job

Derived Forms

• ˈexpertness, noun
• ˈexpertly, adverb

Other Words From

• ex·pertly adverb
• ex·pertness noun
• non·expert noun adjective
• pro·expert adjective
• unex·pert adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of expert¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin expertus “tried,” past participle of experīrī “to try”; experience

Word History and Origins

Origin of expert¹

C14: from Latin expertus known by experience, from experīrī to test; see experience

Synonym Study

See skillful.

Example Sentences

In addition to cancer researchers, the interdisciplinary team includes experts in pest management.

From Science Daily

“What’s so interesting is the language the Chinese used,” says Professor Michael Jacobs, an expert on climate politics at Sheffield University.

From BBC

In the same issue of the journal, however, two Harvard experts cast doubt on the study, noting that the original researchers were unable to replicate their findings when they repeated their study with new subjects.

From Los Angeles Times

Several legal experts and tech industry observers said the path forward for TikTok is still precarious.

From Los Angeles Times

“This is to some extent a negotiating dance,” said George Hay, a Cornell University law professor and antitrust expert.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• artist
• authority
• professional