talented
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
Or can Messi's great rival, the 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, defy father time by inspiring a talented Portugal team to its maiden World Cup win?
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
That means the list of talented Norwegian players to miss out is long - Morten Gamst Pedersen, John Carew, Brede Hangeland and John Arne Riise to name a few.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
Pfeiffer: I couldn’t be luckier working for two of the most talented and prolific writers in the history of television.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
A White House spokesperson did not comment on whether the appointment would impact Trump’s Fannie-Freddie plans but wrote that the “President chooses the best and most talented people to serve in his Cabinet.”
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
“I want you all to listen up! Because our very fearless and very talented director is about to make a speech!”
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
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.
