skill

[ skil ]

/ skɪl /

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See synonyms for: skill / skilled / skills on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

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

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR skill

1 proficiency, facility.

2 deftness, cleverness.

See synonyms for skill on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR skill

1 inability.

See antonyms for skill on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!

In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”

Question 1 of 7

The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

affect

effect

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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Origin of skill

1125–75; Middle English <Old Norse skil distinction, difference; cognate with Dutch geschil difference, quarrel. See skill²

Words nearby skill

ski jumping, Skikda, skilfish, skilful, ski lift, skill, Skillcentre, skilled, skilled labor, skilled nursing facility, skilless

Other definitions for skill (2 of 2)

skill²

[ skil ]

/ skɪl /

verb (used without object) Archaic.

to matter.

to help; avail.

Origin of skill

1150–1200; Middle English skilien<Old Norse skilja to distinguish, divide, akin to skil (see skill¹), Old English scylian to separate, Gothic skilja butcher, Lithuanian skélti to split

How to use skill in a sentence

In 2010, a study at the University of North Texas compared how students retain information literacy skills in a face-to-face class, an online class and a blended class.
Why hasn’t digital learning lived up to its promise?|Walter Thompson|September 17, 2020|TechCrunch
They viewed the ability to sift through all this advice as a crucial skill to learn.
Startup founders must overcome information overload|Walter Thompson|September 17, 2020|TechCrunch
These bots offer increasing levels of customizability and complexity to match a young one’s skills.
These three robots can teach kids how to code|John Kennedy|September 17, 2020|Popular-Science
Customers can use the company’s skill to order Tide products without having to pull up the Amazon app or go to the Tide website.
How to drive digital innovation necessary during the pandemic|Nick Chasinov|September 16, 2020|Search Engine Watch

She also asked students to choose a skill and practice it regularly.
A 15-Week Exercise Plan for Kids and Families|Krista Langlois|September 12, 2020|Outside Online
With all due respect to his athletic skill, Gronkowski is not high on the list of NFL players that elicit carnal thoughts.
‘A Gronking to Remember’ Speed Read: 8 Naughtiest Bits|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Investigators will focus on whether the sudden emergency was so extreme that no degree of pilot skill would have helped.
Flight 8501 Poses Question: Are Modern Jets Too Automated to Fly?|Clive Irving|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
As the steaks are eaten, Mount, who has some skill in these things, brings up the movie.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Conflicts and resolutions were staged with the skill of a chessplayer working out new endgame strategies.
Can Tarzan of the Apes Survive in a Post-Colonial World?|Ted Gioia|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He finishes off the task he has set himself here with considerable precision and skill.
How WWI Produced the Holocaust|J.P. O’Malley|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Here convincing proof was given of Mme. Mesdag's accuracy, originality of interpretation, and her skill in the use of color.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
Tobacco requires a great deal of skill and trouble in the right management of it.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
The Gentleman's Magazine contains a long list of the bridges and churches which attest his reputation and skill.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
The Winnebagos also manufacture pipes of the same form, but of a smaller size, in lead, with considerable skill.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
I was soon surprised to find that I too had a taste for statistics and acquired some skill in their compilation.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow

British Dictionary definitions for skill

skill

/ (skɪl) /

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

Derived forms of skill

skill-less or skilless, adjective

Word Origin for skill

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

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

skill

OTHER WORDS FOR skill

OPPOSITES FOR skill

Origin of skill

Words nearby skill

Other definitions for skill (2 of 2)

Origin of skill

Words related to skill

How to use skill in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for skill

Derived forms of skill

Word Origin for skill