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prodigy

American  
[prod-i-jee] / ˈprɒd ɪ dʒi /

noun

plural

prodigies

  1. a person, especially a child or young person, having extraordinary talent or ability.

    a musical prodigy.

  2. a marvelous example (usually followed byof ).

  3. something wonderful or marvelous; a wonder.

  4. something abnormal or monstrous.

  5. Archaic. something extraordinary regarded as of prophetic significance.

prodigy British  
/ ˈprɒdɪdʒɪ /

noun

  1. a person, esp a child, of unusual or marvellous talents

  2. anything that is a cause of wonder and amazement

  3. something monstrous or abnormal

  4. an archaic word for omen

"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

Etymology

Origin of prodigy

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English prodige, from Latin prōdigium “prophetic sign”

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.

Two years ago, Jack Lang of The Athletic, external tracked down a once-teenage Brazilian prodigy dubbed 'The Little Seal', now 38 enjoying a quiet life coaching kids in North Carolina.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

The last feature Gyllenhaal appeared in as an actor was 2018’s “The Kindergarten Teacher,” playing an overzealous mentor to a young poetry prodigy.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026

Australia's 16-year-old prodigy Indra Brown scored an impressive 87.00 on her final run to finish fifth.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

The novel recounts the investigative bread-crumb trail he follows into rural Peru to uncover the background of this vain, mercurial prodigy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

In fact, he got the same score I did: 1500 / 1500.1 am no longer the Republic’s only prodigy with a perfect score.

From "Legend" by Marie Lu

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.