aptitude
Americannoun
-
aptitudes
plural
-
capability; ability; innate or acquired capacity for something; talent.
She has a special aptitude for mathematics.
- Synonyms:
- bent, propensity, proclivity, predisposition, faculty, gift
-
readiness or quickness in learning; intelligence.
He was placed in honors classes because of his general aptitude.
- Synonyms:
- acumen
-
the state or quality of being apt; special fitness.
noun
-
inherent or acquired ability
-
ease in learning or understanding; intelligence
-
the condition or quality of being apt
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of aptitude
First recorded in 1400–50; from Late Latin aptitūdō; see origin at apt, -i-, -tude
Explanation
An aptitude is something you're good at. A rock star might have an aptitude for energizing an audience, or for trashing his hotel room. When you have a talent or do something well, people say that you have an aptitude for it. But you don't have to be born with an aptitude; you can also acquire your abilities. You are probably already well acquainted with this word, since the zillions of standardized tests you have taken in school are usually called aptitude tests.
Vocabulary lists containing aptitude
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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The Giver
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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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.
See Examples For:
You are actively engaged in managing more than $600,000 of your assets, roughly a quarter of your overall retirement savings, and appear to have shown an aptitude for doing so.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Lodge is being a bit modest when he plays down his family’s business aptitude.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
When did you first realize that you had a special aptitude for amassing knowledge?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
My son, a college librarian, has seen that phenomenon as well as a general erosion of research skills and decision-making aptitude among some students.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2026
“Don’t you think someone with the aptitude for multiple factions might have a loyalty problem? If she’s got aptitude for Erudite, how can we be sure she’s not working for Erudite?”
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
People who had the skills and aptitudes to adapt to those forces did very well, and people who were affected more adversely did not.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
Children can start learning at these levels at different ages, decided by the school depending on "individual needs and aptitudes".
From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2023
The paper's authors add that the results could potentially help better illuminate the learning process, identify the causes behind certain afflictions, and spot sound-related aptitudes.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2023
At the other end of the spectrum, those same aptitudes, traits and qualities must be present as well.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 7, 2023
Lori, because of her good grades and art portfolio, had been accepted into a government-sponsored summer camp for students with special aptitudes.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
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.
