talent

[tal-uhnt]

noun

1. a special natural ability or aptitude.

   a talent for drawing.

   Synonyms: genius, gift, capability

2. a capacity for achievement or success; ability.

   young men of talent.

3. a talented person.

   The cast includes many of the theater's major talents.

4. a group of persons with special ability.

   an exhibition of watercolors by the local talent.

5. Movies and Television.,  professional actors collectively, especially star performers.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. any of various ancient Hebrew or Attic monetary units equal in value to that of a talent weight of gold, silver, or other metal.

9. Obsolete.,  inclination or disposition.

talent

/ ˈtælənt /

noun

1. innate ability, aptitude, or faculty, esp when unspecified; above average ability

   a talent for cooking

   a child with talent

2. a person or persons possessing such ability

3. any of various ancient units of weight and money

4. informal,  members of the opposite sex collectively, esp those living in a particular place

   the local talent

5. an obsolete word for inclination

Other Word Forms

• talented adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of talent¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English talente, from Latin talenta, plural of talentum, from Greek tálanton “balance, weight, monetary unit”

Word History and Origins

Origin of talent¹

Old English talente, from Latin talenta, pl of talentum sum of money, from Greek talanton unit of money or weight; in Medieval Latin the sense was extended to ability through the influence of the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30)

Synonym Study

See ability.

Example Sentences

Riot Women tells the tale of five menopausal women who form a punk rock band to take part in a local talent contest.

Read more on BBC

The problem is that all that talent can create something of a dilemma: There’s only room for five players on the top power play unit, three on the top line, one in the net.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

“That’s been brought on with a combination of talent and technology and nutrition and training.”

Read more on Wall Street Journal

In the space of a single transfer window, the team spent more than half a billion dollars on fresh talent.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Loaded with young talent and brimming with creativity, the group led by teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has reclaimed its place as one of the hottest tickets in sports.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• art 
• capability 
• capacity 
• expertise 
• flair 
• genius 
• gift 
• knack 
• know-how 
• power 
• savvy 
• skill 
• thing 

When To Use

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.