people skills

British

plural noun

the ability to deal with, influence, and communicate with other people

"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

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.

Vitello earned a reputation as a brash, fiery leader with unmatched people skills whose teams toed the line between confident and cocky.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025

Career counselors are advising young adults to sharpen their people skills, develop AI expertise and be ready to pivot in a fast-shifting labor market.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025

Its coordinator David Tierney said the programme taught people skills to help them "deal with the pain and the associated fatigue, anxiety, and stress that often accompanies their condition".

From BBC • Sep. 19, 2024

He said Choi possesses “a comprehensive” operational understanding, along with the people skills necessary for the job.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2024

Actually talk, that most people-y of people skills?

From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023