talent

American  

[tal-uhnt] / ˈtæl ənt /

noun

1. a special natural ability or aptitude.

   a talent for drawing.

   Synonyms:

   genius, gift, capability

2. a capacity for achievement or success; ability.

   young men of talent.

3. a talented person.

   The cast includes many of the theater's major talents.

4. a group of persons with special ability.

   an exhibition of watercolors by the local talent.

5. Movies and Television. professional actors collectively, especially star performers.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. any of various ancient Hebrew or Attic monetary units equal in value to that of a talent weight of gold, silver, or other metal.

9. Obsolete. inclination or disposition.

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talent British  

/ ˈtælənt /

noun

1. innate ability, aptitude, or faculty, esp when unspecified; above average ability

   a talent for cooking

   a child with talent

2. a person or persons possessing such ability

3. any of various ancient units of weight and money

4. informal members of the opposite sex collectively, esp those living in a particular place

   the local talent

5. an obsolete word for inclination

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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.

Synonym Usage

See ability.

Other Word Forms

Derived 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”

Explanation

If you are especially good at something, you have a talent. You can have a talent for singing or a talent for getting others to talk about themselves. People who work in creative professions are often called "the talent." In Biblical times, a talent was a unit of money, and a New Testament parable tells of a master punishing a servant for hiding, rather than investing, a bag of talents in the master's absence. The interpretation of this parable to mean that you should not hide your "God-given talents" has led to the current meaning of the word as the special qualities a person possesses.

Example Sentences

Europe has long churned out technology talent, but graduates tend to land at jobs elsewhere, like in Silicon Valley, where funding is plentiful, she says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

Rangnick, meanwhile, quickly earmarked the young defender as a possible future coaching talent.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

It's useful to think about what will remain strong sources of differentiation: ownership of physical resources; large social networks; proprietary data; high customer switching costs; strong distribution channels; intellectual property; talent.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

Cricket is beguiled by her, and Olympia in turn is taken in by Cricket’s talent.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

“Throw away that skirt. It is a talent, to learn to dress like yourself. Beauty is overrated, but it is not a sin.”

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

• art
• capability
• capacity
• expertise
• flair
• genius
• gift
• knack
• know-how
• power
• savvy
• skill
• thing