expert

[noun, verb ek-spurt; adjective ek-spurt, ik-spurt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR expert ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field; specialist; authority: a language expert.

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 or at): an expert driver; to be expert at driving a car.

pertaining to, coming from, or characteristic of an expert: expert work; expert advice.

verb (used with object)

to act as an expert for.

Origin of expert

1325–75; Middle English (adj.) < Latin expertus, past participle of experīrī to try, experience

Related formsex·pert·ly, adverbex·pert·ness, nounnon·ex·pert, noun, adjectivepro·ex·pert, adjectiveun·ex·pert, adjective

Synonyms for expert

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR expert ON THESAURUS.COM

1. connoisseur, master. 3. experienced, proficient, dexterous.

Synonym study

3. See skillful.

Antonyms for expert

3. unskillful.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for expert

adroit, experienced, deft, skillful, skilled, adept, trained, professional, authority, artist, crackerjack, crack, slick, virtuoso, savvy, sharp, handy, connoisseur, phenomenon, ace

Examples from the Web for expert

Contemporary Examples of expert

“He was a brave field commander and an expert in intelligence, and in organizing popular and tribal forces,” said the eulogist.
What an Iranian Funeral Tells Us About the Wars in Iraq
IranWire
January 6, 2015
Well, one expert I talked to said that physically it involves little more than a $20 cable.
Red Tape and Black Boxes: Why We Keep ‘Losing’ Airliners in 2014
Clive Irving
December 29, 2014
An expert in education talks about race relations, the political environment and what can be done to improve things.
Dr. Howard Fuller's Injustice Education
Campbell Brown
December 21, 2014
Carter has also been a fixture on boards and expert panels, in think tanks and at universities.
Ashton Carter, the Wonk Who Would Lead the Pentagon
Shane Harris, Tim Mak
December 2, 2014
Peacock served as an expert witness on grizzlies in federal court for Glacier National Park.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear
Doug Peacock
November 23, 2014

Historical Examples of expert

Two men look at it—the one with an expert knowledge of painting, the other with none.
The Conquest of Fear
Basil King
Besides, a man must have an audience when he is an expert in swearing.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr
Linda slid down the side of the canyon with the deftness of the expert.
Her Father's Daughter
Gene Stratton-Porter
Becket was a tall, powerful man, expert in the use of weapons.
Cameos from English History, from Rollo to Edward II
Charlotte Mary Yonge
If this is the case the expert's bill may readily run up to $50.
Flying Machines
W.J. Jackman and Thos. H. Russell

British Dictionary definitions for expert

expert

noun

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

adjective

skilful or knowledgeable

of, involving, or done by an expertan expert job

Derived Formsexpertly, adverbexpertness, noun

Word Origin for expert

C14: from Latin expertus known by experience, from experīrī to test; see experience

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 expert

adj.

late 14c., from Old French expert and directly from Latin expertus, past participle of experiri "to try, test" (see experience). The noun sense of "person wise through experience" existed 15c., reappeared 1825. Related: Expertly.