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

"With this discovery, which is one of just a couple that have been confirmed so far, we've validated a new technique and can use it to hunt for more."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

But Hāngī is arguably the most famous Māori cooking technique.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

The Michelin Guide awards up to three stars to eateries based on ingredient quality, flavour mastery, cooking technique, chef's personality and consistency.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Distillation is a technique in which a smaller AI model is trained to mimic the outputs of a larger, more capable one.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

He laughed at the irony: having run from a career in the ministry, he was now completely devoted to what was, at heart, a technique for spiritual redemption and renewal.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Other techniques track the directions in which electrons are emitted.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

That work now includes techniques that could never have been imagined when the Victorian experiment began.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

“Those concerns should be addressed through targeted legal and commercial frameworks rather than sweeping restrictions on techniques that play an important role in AI innovation.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

One can learn a lot by being taught what not to do, which appears to be one of Ms. Lam’s stealth instructional techniques.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

She closed her eyes, to better remember all she had learned at school: not only the capitals of nations and techniques of watercolor painting, but the truly important things.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

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