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

Lim said that production and creative talent should expand their range of co-operation. —Patrick Frater, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024

But if Monday was any indication, there could be a lot more wins than last season. UCLA Sports No stars, just talent? —Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024

That was his greatest talent, knowing who to hire, who should be on this date, who should play this part. —Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024

Both parties, of course, ultimately stood by their call, and they were vindicated in the end, but according to executives and on-air talent at multiple TV networks that spoke with The Hollywood Reporter, the lessons of that call are still being felt. —Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 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)