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proficient

[ pruh-fish-uhnt ]
/ prəˈfɪʃ ənt /
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See synonyms for: proficient / proficients on Thesaurus.com

adjective
well-advanced or competent in any art, science, or subject; skilled: a proficient swimmer.
noun
an expert.
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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”; cf. do, efficient

OTHER WORDS FROM proficient

pro·fi·cient·ly, adverbpro·fi·cient·ness, nouno·ver·pro·fi·cient, adjectiveun·der·pro·fi·cient, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use proficient in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for proficient

proficient
/ (prəˈfɪʃənt) /

adjective
having great facility (in an art, occupation, etc); skilled
noun
an archaic word for an expert

Derived forms of proficient

proficiency, nounproficiently, adverb

Word Origin for proficient

C16: from Latin prōficere to make progress, from pro- 1 + facere to make
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
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