Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for technical. Search instead for technicals.
Synonyms

technical

American  
[tek-ni-kuhl] / ˈtɛk nɪ kəl /

adjective

  1. belonging or pertaining to an art, science, or the like.

    technical skill.

  2. peculiar to or characteristic of a particular art, science, profession, trade, etc..

    technical details.

  3. using terminology or treating subject matter in a manner peculiar to a particular field, as a writer or a book.

    a technical report.

  4. skilled in or familiar in a practical way with a particular art, trade, etc., as a person.

  5. of, relating to, or showing technique.

  6. technically demanding or difficult.

    a technical violin sonata; a technical ski run.

  7. designed or used for technically demanding sports or other activities.

    technical apparel.

  8. pertaining to or connected with the mechanical or industrial arts and the applied sciences.

    a technical school.

  9. so considered from a point of view in accordance with a stringent interpretation of the rules.

    a military engagement ending in a technical defeat.

  10. concerned with or dwelling on technicalities.

    You're getting too technical for me.

  11. noting a market in which prices are determined largely by supply and demand and other such internal factors rather than by general business, economic, or psychological factors that influence market activity.

    technical weakness or strength.


technical British  
/ ˈtɛknɪkəl /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or specializing in industrial, practical, or mechanical arts and applied sciences

    a technical institute

  2. skilled in practical and mechanical arts rather than theoretical or abstract thinking

  3. relating to or characteristic of a particular field of activity

    the technical jargon of linguistics

  4. existing by virtue of a strict application of the rules or a strict interpretation of the wording

    a technical loophole in the law

    a technical victory

  5. of, derived from, or showing technique

    technical brilliance

  6. (of a financial market) having prices determined by internal speculative or manipulative factors rather than by general or economic conditions

    a technical rally

"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

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of technical

First recorded in 1610–20; technic + -al 1


Explanation

Technical describes a specific art or science, or training for a particular job. If you have trouble with your new computer, you might call for technical support, but a technical school teaches you a certain craft, like how to weld. Technical comes from the Greek tekhno, which means "art or skill." Anything technical requires both art and skill. If you're an Olympic gymnast, you have technical abilities. You might go to a technical school to learn how to be a chef, a mechanic, or a massage therapist. While being technical can be a positive trait, you don't want to overwhelm someone with technicalities. For example: If you're trying to explain how a car works to a kid and you start talking about manifolds, you're getting too technical.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing technical

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.

See Examples For:

The strong labor market demand is a hawkish surprise for the Federal Reserve, already debating a December hike, says Waleed Said, a technical analyst at GivTrade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

The company offers a variety of templates and tools to help users without technical skills or a design background to create a range of professional-looking graphics and presentations, from wedding invitations to business pitch decks.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

“And citronella has a long history of repelling mosquitos,” says Daniel Markowski, a vector ecologist and technical advisor for the AMCA.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

In Italy, government ministers had a meeting with intelligence chiefs and the National Cyber Security Agency, which also issued technical advice for retailers to protect their systems.

From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026

Just as the astrolabe embodies the medieval application of mathematics to the heavens, the sector embodies the new technical skills of the mathematician applying himself to the world.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com