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Synonyms

expert

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

noun

  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

Related Words

See skillful.

Other Word Forms

  • expertly adverb
  • expertness noun
  • nonexpert noun
  • proexpert adjective
  • unexpert adjective

Etymology

Origin of expert

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

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.

“It definitely shows that Iran can win without winning,” said Alan Eyre, a former State Department expert on Iran and fellow with the Middle East Institute.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

California voter data expert Paul Mitchell expressed astonishment about the Postal Service’s guidance.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

In the final months of the Biden administration, the FDA convened the expert advisory committee and presented its research on the six peptides.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

"Refineries are working at full capacity," said an expert at French energy giant TotalEnergies which has six refineries across Europe.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

Dasch was an expert on all things American, which was a highly valuable skill set in Nazi Germany.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

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.