adept
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
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very proficient in something requiring skill or manual dexterity
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skilful; expert
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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adeptnessnoun
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nonadeptadjective
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unadeptadjective
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adeptlyadverb
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nonadeptlyadverb
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unadeptlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of adept
First recorded in 1655–65; from Medieval Latin adeptus “one who has attained (the secret of transmuting metals),” noun use of Latin past participle of adipiscī “to attain to” ( ad- “toward” + -ep- combining form of ap- in aptus + -tus past participle suffix); see ad-, apt
Explanation
Are you looking for another word to describe a person who is highly skilled, very proficient or expert at something? Try the adjective adept! In the days of Medieval Latin, an adeptus was a person who had learned the secrets of alchemy. Although an adept person today cannot turn lead into gold, the adjective is still high praise meaning "skilled, expert, highly proficient."
Vocabulary lists containing adept
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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The Phantom Tollbooth
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Bright Ideas: Synonyms For "Smart"
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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.
Adept tax preparers know how to lower the stress when dealing with these couples, Rogin says.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026
McGrew is starting Arda with co-founder Augustus Odena, who previously co-founded Adept AI, and Palantir alums Jakob Frick and Alex Mark, the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026
Adept at balancing ideological loyalty with pragmatic statecraft, Larijani will not attend the talks, but is central to Tehran's nuclear policy and strategic diplomacy.
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026
She also founded a museum, the Adept New American Folk Center, focusing on arts of the American Southwest.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 22, 2025
And lastly, keep a very close eye upon the Egyptian Adept, as he calls himself—his name is Phadrig Amena—who worked those alleged miracles at my daughter's garden-party the other day.
From The Mummy and Miss Nitocris A Phantasy of the Fourth Dimension by Griffith, George Chetwynd
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.
