talented
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of talented
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English: “inclined, disposed”; talent + -ed 3
Explanation
If you're really good at something, you're talented. Both a professional violinist and an amateur singer with a beautiful voice can be called talented musicians. Talented wordsmiths will know that some other ways to say talented include proficient, adept and skilled. This adjective comes from the noun talent, which talented etymologists have traced back to the Greek root talanton, "balance, weight, or sum of money."
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.
"We already had a pretty lean team and very talented engineers, so the approach I took was, let's do more with the people that we have."
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
“These girls are obviously really talented, come from really different programs,” Betts said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
“It’s always been about the craft first for me. I started doing this very young, so I’ve seen how ego can kill someone inside out, even the most talented people.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
With Kylian Mbappe leading one of the world's most talented squads, Les Bleus have reached the quarter-finals playing some of the tournament's most fluid football.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
“Did you see that giant fall back? He was like, Oh no, don’t, y’all too strong, especially you, Gum Baby, you’re really talented and should be cheered, raaaaahhhhhh.”
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
