aptitude

[ ap-ti-tood, -tyood ]

noun

1. capability; ability; innate or acquired capacity for something; talent:

   She has a special aptitude for mathematics.

   Synonyms: bent, propensity, proclivity, predisposition, faculty, gift

2. readiness or quickness in learning; intelligence:

   He was placed in honors classes because of his general aptitude.

   Synonyms: acumen

3. the state or quality of being apt; special fitness.

aptitude

/ ˈæptɪˌtjuːd /

noun

1. inherent or acquired ability
2. ease in learning or understanding; intelligence
3. the condition or quality of being apt

Other Words From

• ap·ti·tu·di·nal [ap-ti-, tood, -n-l, -, tyood, -], adjective
• ap·ti·tu·di·nal·ly adverb
• pre·ap·ti·tude noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of aptitude¹

First recorded in 1400–50; from Late Latin aptitūdō; apt, -i-, -tude

Word History and Origins

Origin of aptitude¹

C15: via Old French from Late Latin aptitūdō, from Latin aptus apt

Example Sentences

At the pinnacle of his fame in the late 1970s, Carson said his best friend was possibly his lawyer, Henry Bushkin, who would later write that he was shocked by this admission, adding that he had never “met a man with less of an aptitude or interest in maintaining real relationships.”

From New York Times

He’s a natural leaper who provided a taste of his defensive aptitude with three blocks to go with five rebounds in 11 minutes against the Broncs.

From Los Angeles Times

We’ve watched for a decade as the media has tried its best to document Trump’s dumbness and dishonesty, his self-dealing and his vanity, his total lack of any interest in or aptitude for governance, his evidently weakening grip on reality.

From Slate

Over the years, his aptitude for bending his Irish charm into characters both affable and appalling kept him working steadily, racking up roles in genre-defining classics including "Sex, Lies, and Videotape," "The Player" and "While You Were Sleeping."

From Salon

Just weeks after his birth, Rhythm was already displaying evidence of a natural aptitude for dance in videos Sagi received from the breeder — lying on a bed while tapping and crossing his paws, and also walking backward.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• competence
• flair
• knack
• proficiency
• savvy