technique

American  

[tek-neek] / tɛkˈnik /

noun

• techniques
  plural

1. the manner and ability with which an artist, writer, dancer, athlete, or the like employs the technical skills of a particular art or field of endeavor.

2. the body of specialized procedures and methods used in any specific field, especially in an area of applied science.

3. method of performance; way of accomplishing.

4. technical skill; ability to apply procedures or methods so as to effect a desired result.

5. Informal. method of projecting personal charm, appeal, etc..

   He has the greatest technique with customers.

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technique British  

/ tɛkˈniːk /

noun

1. a practical method, skill, or art applied to a particular task

2. proficiency in a practical or mechanical skill

3. special facility; knack

   he had the technique of turning everything to his advantage

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• techniques
  plural

Etymology

Origin of technique

First recorded in 1810–20; from French: “technical” (adjective), “technic” (noun), from Greek technikós, techniká; see technic

Explanation

A technique is a method of doing some task or performing something. Your technique for opening drinks might be to twist the top off with your teeth. If so, your dentist better have a good tooth-repair technique. The noun technique can also refer to someone's skillfulness with the fundamentals of a particular task. A violinist could have excellent technique, but lack passion, for example. Writers usually have very individual writing techniques: One might need to write late at night and another early in the morning; some have to write by hand on paper, while others always use the computer.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

technique techniques

It is a technique honed in all forms of cricket at the highest level.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Gruel demonstrates a knife-sharpening technique, assembles the salad and plates the salmon cakes.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026

Would your keyboard technique be good enough to play in one of those old tropical bands like Afrosound or Wganda Kenya?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

A similar technique would be used to disguise rare species themselves, shipping them with ordinary reptiles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

This simple technique was employed by Michael Maestlin, Kepler’s teacher.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

She says tapping techniques help "ground" her as well as breathing exercises, yoga and being in nature.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

But the EPA’s longstanding techniques already accounted for these uncertainties.

From Slate ● Aug. 2, 2026

The massive exercises allowed the participants to test new weapons, logistics systems and command and control techniques.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

Nonetheless, Claude used "basic techniques, such as exploiting weak passwords and unauthenticated endpoints," the blog continued.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

We’d have babies at the same time, take family beach trips to Jamaica, remain mildly critical of each other’s parenting techniques, and be favorite fun aunties to each other’s kids as they grew.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• approach
• art
• capability
• capacity
• craft
• facility
• know-how
• manner
• means
• mode
• performance
• procedure
• routine
• skill
• style
• system