skilled
Americanadjective
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having skill; trained or experienced in work that requires skill.
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showing, involving, or requiring skill, as certain work.
adjective
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possessing or demonstrating accomplishment, skill, or special training
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(prenominal) involving skill or special training
a skilled job
Synonym Usage
See skillful.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of skilled
Explanation
Anyone skilled has special abilities. A skilled mechanic from the future might build a flying car. Then a skilled rapper can write a cool song about it. A skill is a well-earned talent, like being able to ride a bike, write a script, or spin a basketball on your finger. If you have skills, you're skilled! Congratulations. Being skilled in something usually requires practice. A skilled politician wins elections. A skilled hitter in baseball has a high batting average. A highly skilled job is one that requires special training. The opposite of skilled is unskilled, which would apply to someone without a particular talent.
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.
Immigration expert Toshihiro Menju told AFP that Japan is facing a labour shortage on all levels, from highly skilled professionals to service workers.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
But Showalter and the movie’s screenwriter, Nick Antosca, are skilled in the art of misdirection.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
Policymakers continued to see inflationary risks stemming from AI investments, improving pricing power, higher inflation expectations and demand for skilled labor, Danske Bank analyst Jens Peter Sorensen says in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
It is also suspending Microsoft, Adobe and six other tech companies from how they sponsor employees who are in the country under a highly skilled worker visa program.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
After proving himself somewhat skilled during practice, many of the other competitors had sought him out, but he still opted to keep to himself.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.