expert
Americannoun
-
a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field; specialist; authority.
a language expert.
- Synonyms:
- master, connoisseur
-
Military.
-
the highest rating in rifle marksmanship, above that of marksman and sharpshooter.
-
a person who has achieved such a rating.
-
adjective
-
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
-
pertaining to, coming from, or characteristic of an expert.
expert work;
expert advice.
verb (used with object)
noun
adjective
-
skilful or knowledgeable
-
of, involving, or done by an expert
an expert job
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.
Vocabulary lists containing expert
Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 41-50
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Words to Describe Yourself on a Resume
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 7
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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:
Susanna Streeter, a financial expert from Bristol-based Wealth Club, said the summer of savings should help lighten the financial burden for families during the school holidays.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Amundson wasn’t an expert on the law, but she knew right from wrong.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Amazon's Kindle has its own version: "Ask this Book," described as an "expert reading assistant" that answers questions about plot and characters "without disrupting your reading flow."
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
While this season is advertised as “for the fans,” you don’t need to be a “Survivor” expert to enjoy the strategic gameplay, backstabbing and twists in this historic TV competition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
The Incorrigibles had become expert at spending their days wisely, all thanks to an invention they called “the to-doawoo list.”
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
I decided to talk to some experts and conduct my own personal hydration experiment to find out whether the claims are legitimate or basically all bull.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
CME’s FedWatch tool is giving a 38% chance of a rate hike this week, though most experts believe a hike is more likely in September.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 26, 2026
That number is astounding on its own, but according to most sources and experts, it significantly lowballs the war’s true cost, which continues to mount.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
And, as rates of skin cancer continue to rise, health experts worry that such baseless claims could discourage people from protecting themselves from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Virginians were also the most adept at employing what Adams called “puffers,” what we would call “spinners” or public-relations experts.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
