technique

American  

[tek-neek] / tɛkˈnik /

noun

• techniques
  plural

1. the manner and ability with which an artist, writer, dancer, athlete, or the like employs the technical skills of a particular art or field of endeavor.

2. the body of specialized procedures and methods used in any specific field, especially in an area of applied science.

3. method of performance; way of accomplishing.

4. technical skill; ability to apply procedures or methods so as to effect a desired result.

5. Informal. method of projecting personal charm, appeal, etc..

   He has the greatest technique with customers.

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technique British  

/ tɛkˈniːk /

noun

1. a practical method, skill, or art applied to a particular task

2. proficiency in a practical or mechanical skill

3. special facility; knack

   he had the technique of turning everything to his advantage

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• techniques
  plural

Etymology

Origin of technique

First recorded in 1810–20; from French: “technical” (adjective), “technic” (noun), from Greek technikós, techniká; see technic

Explanation

A technique is a method of doing some task or performing something. Your technique for opening drinks might be to twist the top off with your teeth. If so, your dentist better have a good tooth-repair technique. The noun technique can also refer to someone's skillfulness with the fundamentals of a particular task. A violinist could have excellent technique, but lack passion, for example. Writers usually have very individual writing techniques: One might need to write late at night and another early in the morning; some have to write by hand on paper, while others always use the computer.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

technique techniques

Donald’s natural ability, his attention to detail and fundamental technique remain “off the charts,” Smith said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

“We look forward to Barret returning to Google and bringing his RL and post-training expertise to Gemini,” Google spokesman Thomas Schoenfelder said in a statement, referring to reinforcement learning, an AI-training technique.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

But in a post on social media, she said she will be taking a break from competition to work on her technique, meaning she will miss March's World Championships in Finland.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

"We have used a completely novel technique," Mads Peter Heide-Jorgensen, a professor at the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources and first author of the paper, told AFP.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

But this technique helped me figure out what was a hallucination and what wasn’t.

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia

The experiment performed a calculation beyond the practical reach of leading classical simulation techniques while also providing evidence that the quantum computer produced a reliable result.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

She found it so effective that she learnt about other breathing techniques and incorporates them into her work as a life coach.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

About 850 seabird-restoration projects are in operation worldwide today, according to Audubon’s Seabird Restoration Database, and a good number of them are succeeding by adopting techniques pioneered and refined in Maine’s success story.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Crimson underwent multiple bandaging and bracing techniques to aid his limb development.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

Those of us who have no weapons discuss the merits of protective techniques, like hiding under a mattress.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

Related Words

• approach
• art
• capability
• capacity
• craft
• facility
• know-how
• manner
• means
• mode
• performance
• procedure
• routine
• skill
• style
• system