talent
Americannoun
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a special natural ability or aptitude.
a talent for drawing.
- Synonyms:
- genius, gift, capability
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a capacity for achievement or success; ability.
young men of talent.
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a talented person.
The cast includes many of the theater's major talents.
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a group of persons with special ability.
an exhibition of watercolors by the local talent.
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Movies and Television. professional actors collectively, especially star performers.
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a power of mind or body considered as given to a person for use and improvement: so called from the parable in Matthew 25:14–30.
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any of various ancient units of weight, as a unit of Palestine and Syria equal to 3000 shekels, or a unit of Greece equal to 6000 drachmas.
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any of various ancient Hebrew or Attic monetary units equal in value to that of a talent weight of gold, silver, or other metal.
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Obsolete. inclination or disposition.
noun
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innate ability, aptitude, or faculty, esp when unspecified; above average ability
a talent for cooking
a child with talent
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a person or persons possessing such ability
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any of various ancient units of weight and money
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informal members of the opposite sex collectively, esp those living in a particular place
the local talent
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an obsolete word for inclination
Usage
What does talent mean? Talent is an exceptional natural ability, especially in a particular activity, such as music.Talent is often thought of as the kind of ability that comes without training—something that you’re born with. It is often contrasted with skill, which is an ability acquired and developed through practice. It can also be used to refer to people who are talented (which is the adjective form of talent).Example: She was a prodigy whose musical talent was obvious from a young age—she started playing the piano at the age of 2.
Related Words
See ability.
Other Word Forms
- talented adjective
Etymology
Origin of talent
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English talente, from Latin talenta, plural of talentum, from Greek tálanton “balance, weight, monetary unit”
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.
However, he said he was not surprised as "Rob is a phenomenal actor", adding the recognition was also great for "theatres like ours" and the role they play in encouraging young talent.
From BBC
Along the way, Jean has consistently championed emerging talent, helping introduce Beyoncé to the world with Destiny’s Child’s breakthrough single “No, No, No,” and co-writing and appearing on Shakira’s global smash “Hips Don’t Lie.”
From Los Angeles Times
It’s a portrait of a team assembled from spare parts and one generational talent that somehow made it all the way to the Big Game.
“He’s an incredible talent who has an awesome ceiling, and he’s got an incredible future. But in a game like tonight — he’s learning. You can see it out there. He’s learning on the fly.”
From Los Angeles Times
Brook answered all the critics in wonderful fashion on Tuesday night, demonstrating an intelligent cricketing brain to go with his unquestioned batting talent.
From Barron's
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.
