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adept

[adjective uh-dept; noun ad-ept, uh-dept]
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adjective
  1. very skilled; proficient; expert: an adept juggler.
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noun ad·ept [ad-ept, uh-dept] /ˈæd ɛpt, əˈdɛpt/
  1. a skilled or proficient person; expert.
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Origin of adept

1655–65; < Medieval Latin adeptus one who has attained (the secret of transmuting metals), noun use of L past participle of adipiscī to attain to (ad- ad- + -ep-, combining form of ap- in aptus apt + -tus past participle suffix)
Related formsa·dept·ly, adverba·dept·ness, nounnon·a·dept, adjectivenon·a·dept·ly, adverbnon·a·dept·ness, nounun·a·dept, adjectiveun·a·dept·ly, adverbun·a·dept·ness, noun
Can be confusedadapt adept adopt
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

artistryexpertnessadroitnessmasteryartfulnessproficiencydeftnesscraftcommandexpertiseskillknack

Examples from the Web for adeptness

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • He didn't handle them with the adeptness of a Belt man, but he wasn't too awkward.

    Anchorite

    Randall Garrett

  • Some men are born with an adeptness for crime of a certain character.

    How to Become Rich

    William Windsor

  • Also his adeptness in dodging was called upon more and more.

  • His eye is always upon his neighbour's defects, and I never cease to marvel at its adeptness.

    Brother Copas

    Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch

  • If so, the little trick had been done with deplorable spontaneity or adeptness of usage.

British Dictionary definitions for adeptness

adept

adjective (əˈdɛpt)
  1. very proficient in something requiring skill or manual dexterity
  2. skilful; expert
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noun (ˈædɛpt)
  1. a person who is skilled or proficient in something
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Derived Formsadeptly, adverbadeptness, noun

Word Origin

C17: from Medieval Latin adeptus, from Latin adipiscī to attain, from ad- to + apiscī to attain
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

Word Origin and History for adeptness

adept

n.

"an expert," especially "one who is skilled in the secrets of anything," 1660s, from Latin adeptus (see adept (adj.)). The Latin adjective was used as a noun in this sense in Medieval Latin among alchemists.

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adept

adj.

1690s, "completely skilled" from Latin adeptus "having reached, attained," past participle of adipisci "to come up with, arrive at," figuratively "to attain to, acquire," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + apisci "grasp, attain," related to aptus "fitted" (see apt). Related: Adeptly.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper