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Synonyms

expertise

1 American  
[ek-sper-teez] / ˌɛk spərˈtiz /

noun

  1. expert skill or knowledge; expertness; know-how.

    business expertise.

  2. a written opinion by an expert, as concerning the authenticity or value of a work of art, manuscript, etc.

expertise 2 American  
[ek-sper-tahyz] / ˈɛk spərˌtaɪz /

verb (used with or without object)

Chiefly British.
expertised, expertising

  1. expertize.

expertise British  
/ ˌɛkspɜːˈtiːz /

noun

  1. special skill, knowledge, or judgment; expertness

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of expertise

First recorded in 1865–70; from French: “survey, report (made by experts),” with -ise understood as an abstract noun suffix; see expert, -ise 2

Explanation

When you're an expert at something, you show expertise — or an exceptional knowledge of the subject. "He had expertise in accounting, having excelled in math, but he had even more expertise in dancing, his hobby since a small child." Expertise has obvious roots in the word expert. Just about any interest or field has a place for experts. Just as one individual has expertise in world religions, another may have expertise in computer gaming. Working hard or immersing yourself in a specialty leads to expertise, and it comes through both study and hands-on experience.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing expertise

Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 41-50

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"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Eight

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English Words Derived from French, List 4

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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.

Mercor and AI Expertise: Founded in 2023 by three college dropouts, Mercor is now valued at $10 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

He and fellow researchers make that case in their recent study, “The Expertise Upheaval: How Generative AI’s Impact on Learning Curves Will Reshape the Workforce.”

From MarketWatch • Oct. 26, 2025

A doctor and psychiatric nurse were assigned to Nicole’s case, and clinicians from the Euthanasia Expertise Center met several times with the family as the date approached.

From Salon • Jan. 16, 2025

Leading expert Professor Bas Bloem, director of the Radboudumc Center of Expertise for Parkinson & Movement Disorders in the Netherlands, insisted that "scientists across the globe are convinced Paraquat is a cause of Parkinson's."

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2024

Expertise in a subfield was the key to a successful career as an engineer, and expertise was becoming a necessity for the mathematicians and computers as well.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

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.