skill

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Expertness

Nouns

1. skill, skillfulness, address; dexterity, dexterousness; adroitness, expertise, proficiency, adequacy, competence, handicraft, finesse, savoir-faire, facility, knack; mastery, mastership; professionalism; excellence, ambidexterity, versatility, virtuosity, prowess; artistry, wizardry.

2. (result of skill) accomplishment, acquirement, endowment, attainment (see success); art, science, touch, flair; technicality, technology; knowledge, experience; discretion, [quiet, shuttle, etc. ] diplomacy; delicacy; craftiness, cunning; management. See learning.

3. (talent) cleverness, talent, ability, ingenuity, capacity, parts, faculty, endowment, forte, turn, gift, genius; intelligence, sharpness; aptness, aptitude; capability, qualification; trick of the trade. Informal, know-how. Slang, the goods, what it takes.

4. (skillful action) masterpiece, master stroke, coup, coup de maître, chef d'œuvre, tour de force; trump card.

5. expert, adept, connoisseur, virtuoso, master; man of arts; artisan; master hand, top sawyer (Brit.), prima donna, first fiddle, old hand; armchair general, Monday-morning quarterback; practiced eye, marksman, crack; conjuror; veteran, champion, ace; old stager or campaigner; handyman; genius, mastermind, tactician, strategist, diplomat; Sherpa. Informal, techie. Slang, sharp, shark, wizard, whiz, jack-leg mechanic, preacher, top gun, butt-kicker.

Verbs — be skillful, excel in, be master of; have a turn for, play one's cards well or right, hit the nail on the head; have all one's wits about one; have one's hand in; have a lot on the ball. Slang, know one's stuff; have been around; take care of business.

Adjectives

1. skillful, dexterous; adroit, expert, apt, handy, quick, deft, ready, smart, proficient, good at, up to, at home in, master of, a good hand at; masterly, crack, accomplished, versed in, conversant (see knowledge); versatile; sophisticated, experienced, practiced, skilled, [well] up in, dry behind the ears; in practice; competent, efficient, qualified, capable, fitted for, up to the mark, trained, initiated, prepared, primed, finished. Slang, ginchy, been there[, done that].

2. clever, able, ingenious, felicitous, gifted, talented, endowed; inventive, shrewd, sharp, intelligent; ambidextrous, surefooted; artistic, workmanlike, businesslike, statesmanlike.

Adverbs — skillfully, handily, well, artistically; with skill.

Phrases — he who can, does — he who cannot, teaches.

Quotations — Experience is the name which every one gives to their mistakes (Oscar Wilde), Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic (Arthur Clarke), An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less (Nicholas Butler), One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning (James Russell Lowell), Though this be madness, yet there is method in it (Shakespeare).

Antonyms, see unskillfulness.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [Ability]

Syn. dexterity, facility, craft; see ability 1 , 2 , art 1 , experience 3 , talent .

2. [Trade]

Syn. occupation, work, craft; see job 1 , profession 1 , trade 2 .

See Synonym Study at art .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

1. ability expertise, talent, proficiency, command, competence, faculty, know-how, gift, mastery, adeptness, knack, aptitude, dexterity, adroitness, prowess, finesse.

2. trade art, craft, vocation, profession, forte.

ANT.: 1. inability, incompetence, inexperience

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun 1. Natural or acquired facility in a specific activity: ability, adeptness, art, command, craft, expertise, expertness, knack, mastery, proficiency, technique. Informal: know-how. Lability, knowledge. 2. Skillfulness in the use of the hands or body: adroitness, deftness, dexterity, dexterousness, prowess, sleight. See ABILITY.