talent
Americannoun
-
a special natural ability or aptitude.
a talent for drawing.
- Synonyms:
- genius, gift, capability
-
a capacity for achievement or success; ability.
young men of talent.
-
a talented person.
The cast includes many of the theater's major talents.
-
a group of persons with special ability.
an exhibition of watercolors by the local talent.
-
Movies and Television. professional actors collectively, especially star performers.
-
a power of mind or body considered as given to a person for use and improvement: so called from the parable in Matthew 25:14–30.
-
any of various ancient units of weight, as a unit of Palestine and Syria equal to 3000 shekels, or a unit of Greece equal to 6000 drachmas.
-
any of various ancient Hebrew or Attic monetary units equal in value to that of a talent weight of gold, silver, or other metal.
-
Obsolete. inclination or disposition.
noun
-
innate ability, aptitude, or faculty, esp when unspecified; above average ability
a talent for cooking
a child with talent
-
a person or persons possessing such ability
-
any of various ancient units of weight and money
-
informal members of the opposite sex collectively, esp those living in a particular place
the local talent
-
an obsolete word for inclination
Usage
What does talent mean? Talent is an exceptional natural ability, especially in a particular activity, such as music.Talent is often thought of as the kind of ability that comes without training—something that you’re born with. It is often contrasted with skill, which is an ability acquired and developed through practice. It can also be used to refer to people who are talented (which is the adjective form of talent).Example: She was a prodigy whose musical talent was obvious from a young age—she started playing the piano at the age of 2.
Related Words
See ability.
Other Word Forms
- talented adjective
Etymology
Origin of talent
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English talente, from Latin talenta, plural of talentum, from Greek tálanton “balance, weight, monetary unit”
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.
Hiring FDE talent proved to be uniquely challenging for Palantir — and it will likely be challenging for imitators, as well.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026
Competition to invest in the best talent is intense, and that talent is increasingly younger.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026
Hollywood, we all know, is tanking — what with AI, strikes, streaming, high L.A. costs of everything, talent drain, avarice, you name it.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
He has no use for expertise or talent; he prefers people who will grovel before him.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
This made Duane very happy, not just because he discovered a new talent, but also because giving a compliment is what friends do, and C.C. had done just that.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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.
