proficient

American  

[pruh-fish-uhnt] / prəˈfɪʃ ənt /

adjective

1. well-advanced or competent in any art, science, or subject; skilled.

   a proficient swimmer.

   Synonyms:

   accomplished, experienced, competent, adept, finished, able

   Antonyms:

   inept, unskilled

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noun

1. an expert.

proficient British  

/ prəˈfɪʃənt /

adjective

1. having great facility (in an art, occupation, etc); skilled

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noun

1. an archaic word for an expert

Other Word Forms

• overproficient adjective
• proficiency noun
• proficiently adverb
• proficientness noun
• underproficient adjective

Etymology

Origin of proficient

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin prōficient-, stem of prōficiēns, present participle of prōficere “to advance, make progress,” equivalent to prō- pro- ¹ + -ficere, combining form of facere “to make, do”; do, efficient

Example Sentences

The story isn’t all positive: Refugees—who are typically fleeing war, violence or persecution—are less proficient in English than other immigrants and a minority of them remain poor years after arriving in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I think this is probably the need for them to make sure that they are proficient at the kinds of actions they would need to do in the Caribbean.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Less than a third of Chicago eighth grade students are proficient in reading and math.

From The Wall Street Journal

Their average exit velocity is third-worst, and they are especially proficient at banging the ball into the ground.

From The Wall Street Journal

Four levels are used to categorizes scores: advanced, proficient, standard nearly met and standard not met.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accomplished
• adept
• apt
• capable
• competent
• conversant
• efficient
• experienced
• gifted
• qualified
• skillful
• talented
• trained
• versed