expert
Americannoun
-
experts
plural
-
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
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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:
“Their price tag is considerable,” said Gregory Brew, an Iran expert at the Eurasia Group consulting firm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026
Leo's trip is seen as a double homecoming of sorts, US-based Vatican expert Christopher White told AFP.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
She was a Harvard professor and bankruptcy expert when President Barack Obama tapped her to help create a consumer financial protection agency following the 2008 financial crisis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Vance's statement seemed like "a way of separating himself from Trump," said Daniel Byman, a foreign policy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
Katya died like a true Soviet fighter pilot, first filling an enemy fighter with bullets before using expert flight techniques to put out the flames that were engulfing her own plane.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Young people and experts say they support the Welsh government's plan to ban children under 16 from buying high-caffeine energy drinks.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
When “shelter in place” was the prevailing advice from medical experts, this task seemed unsafe.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
As the world descends on Antalya where scientists, experts and heads of state will gather to discuss global warming and how to slow it, thousands of activists will also be present to raise their voices.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
He said he spoke to crime victims and public safety experts about it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Scientists are often experts in their field, the ones who know which instruments to use and what the data from those instruments mean.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
