proficiency
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
- overproficiency noun
Etymology
Origin of proficiency
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin prōfici(ēns) “advancing” ( proficient ) + -ency
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.
Such seamless technologies teach us that repair and understanding is not our role and that such proficiency and knowledge is unnecessary.
From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026
Researchers found that Latino students faced myriad challenges, including immigration issues, English proficiency and unstable housing that is linked to their parents’ employment status.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
Additionally, increased regulatory enforcement, including of the English language proficiency requirement, is tightening capacity, while years of elevated inflation and depressed rates have also pushed carriers out.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
"To gain proficiency in alpine skiing, you need a totally different snow cover," she said.
From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026
In those days, I believed that proficiency in English and success in business were the direct result of high academic achievements and I assumed as a matter of course that Sisulu was a university graduate.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
