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Adroit goes back to an Old French word meaning "handsome or elegant" as well as "skilled in combat." The adjective is still used to imply skillfulness, but usually not of the physical kind. Adroit most often describes cleverness that achieves one's purpose in spite of difficulties.
Synonyms
clever, adroit, cunning, ingenious mean having or showing practical wit or skill in contriving.
clever stresses physical or mental quickness, deftness, or great aptitude.
adroit often implies a skillful use of expedients to achieve one's purpose in spite of difficulties.
cunning implies great skill in constructing or creating.
ingenious suggests the power of inventing or discovering a new way of accomplishing something.
dexterous, adroit, deft mean ready and skilled in physical movement.
dexterous implies expertness with consequent facility and quickness in manipulation.
adroit implies dexterity but usually also stresses resourcefulness or artfulness or inventiveness.
deft emphasizes lightness, neatness, and sureness of touch or handling.
Examples of adroit in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'adroit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
borrowed from French, going back to Old French, "handsome, elegant, skilled (in combat)," from a-, prefix, perhaps with intensive value (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + droit "straight, direct, true, regular," going back to Latin directus "straight, direct" — more at dress entry 1
1652, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Adroit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adroit. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
adroit
adjective
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