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expert

American  
[ek-spurt, ek-spurt, ik-spurt] / ˈɛk spɜrt, ˈɛk spɜrt, ɪkˈspɜrt /

noun

  • experts
    plural
  1. a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field; specialist; authority.

    a language expert.

    Synonyms:
    master, connoisseur
  2. Military.

    1. the highest rating in rifle marksmanship, above that of marksman and sharpshooter.

    2. a person who has achieved such a rating.


adjective

  1. possessing special skill or knowledge; trained by practice; skillful or skilled (often followed by in orat ).

    an expert driver;

    to be expert at driving a car.

    Synonyms:
    dexterous, proficient, experienced
    Antonyms:
    unskillful
  2. pertaining to, coming from, or characteristic of an expert.

    expert work;

    expert advice.

verb (used with object)

  1. to act as an expert for.

expert British  
/ ˈɛkspɜːt /

noun

  1. a person who has extensive skill or knowledge in a particular field

"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

adjective

  1. skilful or knowledgeable

  2. of, involving, or done by an expert

    an expert job

"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

Synonym Usage

See skillful.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of expert

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin expertus “tried,” past participle of experīrī “to try”; cf. experience

Explanation

An expert is someone who knows a ton about the subject at hand. The adjective form of expert describes someone or something that has that special knowledge. If you get expert instruction, that means an expert is your teacher. The word expert is related to experience, and to be an expert at something you need experience. While your academic honors might suggest that you're an expert in certain areas, like rocket science, other fields — like wake boarding and tattoo art, for example — require more hands-on experience before you're an expert. The word expert is also an adjective: once you become really good at it, people will say you're an expert snake handler.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing expert

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:

An expert could analyze the individual brushstrokes on the statue to identify the exact origins of the bust, she said.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 14, 2026

Tech expert Luca Arnaboldi said pager technology - which dates back as far as the 1950s but were most commonly used from the 1980s - was "never meant for privacy"

From BBC Aug. 14, 2026

But now, there is a “premium” on traits that may not have been as highly regarded before the advent of AI, says workplace-performance expert Henna Pryor.

From MarketWatch Aug. 13, 2026

“Historically Pakistan always wanted to be seen as primus inter pares”—first among equals—“in the Muslim world,” says Farzana Shaikh, an expert on Pakistan at the British think tank Chatham House, in a phone interview.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 12, 2026

“Here on vacation and you’re some kind of expert? Let me guess, one-week rental?”

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

FSG says the deal "supports Liverpool's long-term growth ambitions by bringing together experts from across global business, technology, and investment".

From BBC Aug. 14, 2026

The Reds became the top-earning Premier League club for the first time this year, according to sports finance experts Deloitte, announcing record revenues of £703 million for the 2024-25 financial year.

From Barron's Aug. 14, 2026

In the case of the Lincoln, the carrier has been able to make few port calls while in the Arabian Sea, likely because of security concerns from the continuing war, naval experts said.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 14, 2026

Employers themselves don’t have to give money to the accounts for workers to take advantage of the new tax break, experts noted — they just have to update their benefits plans.

From MarketWatch Aug. 14, 2026

The “blast lung” theory has been embraced by a significant number of experts.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

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