talented
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of talented
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English: “inclined, disposed”; talent + -ed 3
Explanation
If you're really good at something, you're talented. Both a professional violinist and an amateur singer with a beautiful voice can be called talented musicians. Talented wordsmiths will know that some other ways to say talented include proficient, adept and skilled. This adjective comes from the noun talent, which talented etymologists have traced back to the Greek root talanton, "balance, weight, or sum of money."
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.
Talented freshmen like defensive linemen Jahkeem Stewart and Floyd Boucard as well as defensive back Alex Graham are rising stars who should be ready to step into significant roles.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2026
Talented people discover new avenues of progress, then capital rushes in.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2025
"Talented and gifted players are there, but we don't give them enough chances to perform at the highest level and we don't give them enough paths to become pros," he says.
From BBC • Jul. 16, 2024
The first story,“Two Talented Bastids,” opens the book brilliantly.
From New York Times • May 31, 2024
“There are some Talented squirrels out in the woods tonight. That’d be a sight, huh?”
From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff
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.
