jack-of-all-trades

American

[jak-uhv-awl-treydz, jak-] / ˌdʒæk əvˈɔlˈtreɪdz, ˈdʒæk- /

noun

plural

jacks-of-all-trades

a person who is adept at many different kinds of work.

jack of all trades British

noun

a person who undertakes many different kinds of work

"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 jack-of-all-trades

First recorded in 1610–20

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.

"He is that perfect player. He is the Jack of all trades who can do everything."

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

Sort of a Jack of all trades, you might say.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 9, 2022

In the nearly 430 years since that barb aimed at The Bard, researchers have compiled a mountain of work examining whether the Jack of all trades is, indeed, ever better than a master of one.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 2021

He’s a very charming Jack of all trades.

From The Guardian • Jun. 24, 2015

Custom has rendered the pursuit of more than one idea all but impossible to them, and the vulgar adage of "Jack of all trades, master of none," applies to them in full force.

From International Miscellany of Literature, Art and Science, Vol. 1, No. 3, Oct. 1, 1850 by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023