talented
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of talented
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English: “inclined, disposed”; talent + -ed 3
Explanation
If you're really good at something, you're talented. Both a professional violinist and an amateur singer with a beautiful voice can be called talented musicians. Talented wordsmiths will know that some other ways to say talented include proficient, adept and skilled. This adjective comes from the noun talent, which talented etymologists have traced back to the Greek root talanton, "balance, weight, or sum of money."
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.
While companies aren’t doing lots of hiring, they might have to pay more to lure talented people from other jobs.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
But USC’s coaches were quick this week to note that the Trojans’ freshmen, no matter how talented, still had some acclimating to do.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
"With another Winter Games on European soil and an incredibly talented crop of athletes, we're excited by what's possible over the next four years," she added.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
A talented wordsmith who writes his own books, and with a bestselling memoir penned before he considered running for office?
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
But somehow, when I looked into his eyes, I saw myself the way he saw me: as someone talented and capable, as someone who could do this.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
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.
