talent

noun

tal·​ent ˈta-lənt 

1

a

: a special often athletic, creative, or artistic aptitude

b

: general intelligence or mental power : ability

2

: the natural endowments of a person

3

: a person of talent or a group of persons of talent in a field or activity

4

a

: any of several ancient units of weight

b

: a unit of value equal to the value of a talent of gold or silver

5

archaic : a characteristic feature, aptitude, or disposition of a person or animal

talented

ˈta-lən-təd 

adjective

talentless

ˈta-lənt-ləs 

adjective

Synonyms

• aptitude
• bent
• endowment
• faculty
• flair
• genius
• gift
• head
• knack

Choose the Right Synonym for talent

gift, faculty, aptitude, bent, talent, genius, knack mean a special ability for doing something.

gift often implies special favor by God or nature.

the gift of singing beautifully

faculty applies to an innate or less often acquired ability for a particular accomplishment or function.

a faculty for remembering names

aptitude implies a natural liking for some activity and the likelihood of success in it.

a mechanical aptitude

bent is nearly equal to aptitude but it stresses inclination perhaps more than specific ability.

a family with an artistic bent

talent suggests a marked natural ability that needs to be developed.

has enough talent to succeed

genius suggests impressive inborn creative ability.

has no great genius for poetry

knack implies a comparatively minor but special ability making for ease and dexterity in performance.

the knack of getting along

Examples of talent in a Sentence

a singer with an enormous amount of talent

I have no musical talent.

Her artistic talent has been obvious ever since she was a child.

They sang a duet in the talent show.

She has a job that makes the most of her talents.

His experience, skills, and talents make him perfectly suited for the job.

There are many good players on the team, but she's a special talent.

The company has hired some expensive legal talent for the trial.

The team has recruited some of the best talent around.

The company is doing a talent search to find the right person for the job.

Recent Examples on the Web

The complaint represents a significant step forward in the efforts by some unscripted talent to unionize. —Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024

Your talent, brilliance and tireless work ethic, too. —Dr. Eric George, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

His talent for consistently topping a .300 batting average is exactly what the Yankees need hitting ahead of Aaron Judge. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024

The move means films from Asia are now eligible for the main competition, while its talents can participate in the year-round Red Sea Lab and Red Sea Souk project market. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English talente, from Latin talenta, plural of talentum unit of weight or money, from Greek talanton pan of a scale, weight; akin to Greek tlēnai to bear; in senses 3–5, from the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14–30 — more at tolerate

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Phrases Containing talent

• talent scout
• talent show
• talent spotter

Kids Definition

talent

noun

tal·​ent ˈtal-ənt 

1

: an ancient unit of weight and money

2

: the natural abilities of a person

3

: a special often athletic, creative, or artistic ability

4

: persons of talent in a field or activity

talented

-ən-təd 

adjective

Etymology

Middle English talent "an ancient unit of weight and money"; in sense 1 from Old English talente (same meaning), from Latin talenta, plural of talentum "unit of weight or money," from Greek talanton "pan of a scale, weight"; in senses 2–4 so called from the parable of the talents told by Jesus (Matthew 25:14–30)