skill
1 Americannoun
-
the ability, coming from one's knowledge, practice, aptitude, etc., to do something well.
Carpentry was one of his many skills.
- Synonyms:
- facility, proficiency
- Antonyms:
- inability
-
competent excellence in performance; expertness; dexterity.
The dancers performed with skill.
- Synonyms:
- cleverness, deftness
-
a craft, trade, or job requiring manual dexterity or special training in which a person has competence and experience.
the skill of cabinetmaking.
-
Obsolete. understanding; discernment.
-
Obsolete. reason; cause.
verb (used without object)
-
to matter.
-
to help; avail.
noun
-
special ability in a task, sport, etc, esp ability acquired by training
-
something, esp a trade or technique, requiring special training or manual proficiency
-
obsolete understanding
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of skill1
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Old Norse skil “distinction, difference”; cognate with Dutch geschil “difference, quarrel”; see skill 2 ( def. )
Origin of skill2
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English skilien, from Old Norse skilja “to distinguish, divide,” akin to skil ( see skill 1 ( def. )), Old English scylian “to separate,” Gothic skilja “butcher,” Lithuanian skélti “to split”
Explanation
If you have an ability that required practice, training, or experience, you have a skill. His welding skill allowed him to create wonderful pieces of art out of metal plumbing pipes. He called his best work "Peace Pipes." Chess is a game of skill, but Old Maid is a game of luck. The noun skill comes from an Old Norse word, skil, which means distinction. His swimming skills left a lot to be desired: he flailed around in the pool, churning up water like an egg beater. It kept him from drowning, but it didn't look pretty. You're supposed to learn basic math and reading skills in elementary school.
Vocabulary lists containing skill
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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.
There’s also little chemistry in his scenes with Alicia Vikander, herself struggling to find dimension in a trophy girlfriend, whose greatest skill in an ever-changing Russia seems to be as an oligarch whisperer.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
Eben Upton told the BBC's Big Boss Interview podcast this could "distort people's choices in ways that make that skill shortage worse and not better".
From BBC • May 14, 2026
“I think it’s the right move to give me the right skill sets for the future.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
People chase other people’s returns without asking whether those returns came from skill or luck.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
She had far more experience and skill in code breaking than he did, and she had created the unit.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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.
