skill
1 Americannoun
-
the ability, coming from one's knowledge, practice, aptitude, etc., to do something well.
Carpentry was one of his many skills.
- Synonyms:
- facility, proficiency
- Antonyms:
- inability
-
competent excellence in performance; expertness; dexterity.
The dancers performed with skill.
- Synonyms:
- cleverness, deftness
-
a craft, trade, or job requiring manual dexterity or special training in which a person has competence and experience.
the skill of cabinetmaking.
-
Obsolete. understanding; discernment.
-
Obsolete. reason; cause.
verb (used without object)
-
to matter.
-
to help; avail.
noun
-
special ability in a task, sport, etc, esp ability acquired by training
-
something, esp a trade or technique, requiring special training or manual proficiency
-
obsolete understanding
Other Word Forms
- skill-less adjective
Etymology
Origin of skill1
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Old Norse skil “distinction, difference”; cognate with Dutch geschil “difference, quarrel”; skill 2 ( def. )
Origin of skill2
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English skilien, from Old Norse skilja “to distinguish, divide,” akin to skil ( skill 1 ( def. ) ), Old English scylian “to separate,” Gothic skilja “butcher,” Lithuanian skélti “to split”
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.
From 65-6, against an attack with its tail up, Foakes and Lawes rebuilt with high resolve and skill.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
Critics argue the system rewards workers not for skill or experience, but for what their behavior reveals about their financial vulnerability.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
It suggests the skill sets are intertwined in hard-to-measure but important ways.
From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026
And he possesses the skill set to do what Lisa Su did with AMD: fixing the product business and then creating optionality for their foundry business.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
This required a different kind of skill and daring.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
