skill

1
[ skil ]
See synonyms for: skillskilledskills on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the ability, coming from one's knowledge, practice, aptitude, etc., to do something well: Carpentry was one of his many skills.

  2. competent excellence in performance; expertness; dexterity: The dancers performed with skill.

  1. a craft, trade, or job requiring manual dexterity or special training in which a person has competence and experience: the skill of cabinetmaking.

  2. Obsolete. understanding; discernment.

  3. Obsolete. reason; cause.

Origin of skill

1
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Old Norse skil “distinction, difference”; cognate with Dutch geschil “difference, quarrel”; see skill2

Other words for skill

Opposites for skill

Words Nearby skill

Other definitions for skill (2 of 2)

skill2
[ skil ]

verb (used without object)Archaic.
  1. to matter.

  2. to help; avail.

Origin of skill

2
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English skilien, from Old Norse skilja “to distinguish, divide,” akin to skil (see skill1), Old English scylian “to separate,” Gothic skilja “butcher,” Lithuanian skélti “to split”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use skill in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for skill

skill

/ (skɪl) /


noun
  1. special ability in a task, sport, etc, esp ability acquired by training

  2. something, esp a trade or technique, requiring special training or manual proficiency

  1. obsolete understanding

Origin of skill

1
C12: from Old Norse skil distinction; related to Middle Low German schēle, Middle Dutch geschil difference

Derived forms of skill

  • skill-less or skilless, adjective

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