skilled

[skild]

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adjective

having skill; trained or experienced in work that requires skill.

showing, involving, or requiring skill, as certain work.

Origin of skilled

First recorded in 1545–55; skill¹ + -ed³

Related formsmul·ti·skilled, adjectivenon·skilled, adjectiveo·ver·skilled, adjectiveun·der·skilled, adjectivewell-skilled, adjective

Synonym study

1. See skillful.

skill

[skil]

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for skilled

adept, experienced, able, proficient, expert

Examples from the Web for skilled

Contemporary Examples of skilled

The North Korean hackers have proven to be a persistent adversary, if not the most skilled one.
Obama Could Hit China to Punish North Korea
Shane Harris, Tim Mak
December 20, 2014
One that has been repeated in my life so much that I am now skilled in completely erasing it.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Protesting
Rawiya Kameir, Judnick Mayard
December 10, 2014
Medicaid is required to cover people in skilled nursing facilities, that is, institutions.
Medicaid Will Give You Money for At-Home Care, but You Might Wait Years
Elizabeth Picciuto
December 2, 2014
The novel is a gifted escape artist, skilled at shrugging off the chains of any definition.
The Birth of the Novel
Nick Romeo
November 27, 2014
Physicians there are skilled enough to perform mid-trimester abortions, as well as procedures for women with fetal anomalies.
Abortion in Missouri Is the Wait of a Lifetime
Justin Glawe
November 12, 2014

Historical Examples of skilled

The youth's pale face flushed with the pride of the skilled workman.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
Canst not give a name to it, and thou so skilled in leech-craft?
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
Take, for example, the prescience of a skilled business man.
Understanding the Scriptures
Francis McConnell
He was a skilled man at this, none more so; nevertheless he failed.
The Leopard Woman
Stewart Edward White
Some scratch a little deeper than those who aren't so skilled or so strong.
Dust
Mr. and Mrs. Haldeman-Julius

British Dictionary definitions for skilled

skilled

adjective

possessing or demonstrating accomplishment, skill, or special training

(prenominal) involving skill or special traininga skilled job

skill

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 Formsskill-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

Word Origin and History for skilled

adj.

past participle adjective from skill (v.) "to have personal and practical knowledge" (c.1200), from Old Norse skilja "separate, part, divide; break off, break up; part company, take leave; discern, distinguish; understand, find out; decide, settle," from the source of skill (n.).

skill

late 12c., "power of discernment," from Old Norse skil "distinction, ability to make out, discernment, adjustment," related to skilja (v.) "to separate; discern, understand," from Proto-Germanic *skaljo- "divide, separate" (cf. Swedish skäl "reason," Danish skjel "a separation, boundary, limit," Middle Low German schillen "to differ," Middle Low German, Middle Dutch schele "separation, discrimination;" see shell (n.)). Sense of "ability, cleverness" first recorded early 13c.