expertise
1 Americanverb (used with or without object)
noun
Etymology
Origin of expertise
First recorded in 1865–70; from French: “survey, report (made by experts),” with -ise understood as an abstract noun suffix; see expert, -ise 2
Explanation
When you're an expert at something, you show expertise — or an exceptional knowledge of the subject. "He had expertise in accounting, having excelled in math, but he had even more expertise in dancing, his hobby since a small child." Expertise has obvious roots in the word expert. Just about any interest or field has a place for experts. Just as one individual has expertise in world religions, another may have expertise in computer gaming. Working hard or immersing yourself in a specialty leads to expertise, and it comes through both study and hands-on experience.
Vocabulary lists containing expertise
Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 41-50
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"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Eight
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English Words Derived from French, List 4
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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.
While renowned for its engineering expertise, it has fallen behind Chinese rivals in the automotive technology race.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
It’s a season that takes real time and real expertise.
From Slate • May 13, 2026
Davidson analyst Gil Luria told MarketWatch that Anduril and Palantir are especially well suited for the Golden Dome project, as it will require expertise in autonomy and AI-targeting capabilities.
From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026
"I told President Trump that if he was willing to seriously tackle the fight against organized crime, Brazil possessed the expertise and was eager to work together," Lula said.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
Izzy, Mia noticed, tended to respond by needling her mother even more, pushing her buttons with the expertise only a child could.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
