English Explanatory Dictionary

skill

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate.
  2. Discrimination; judgment; propriety; reason; cause.
  3. Knowledge; understanding.
  4. Display of art; exercise of ability; contrivance; address.
adj
  1. Great, excellent.
verb
  1. To set apart; separate.
  2. To discern; have knowledge or understanding; to know how (to).
  3. To know; to understand.
  4. To have knowledge or comprehension; discern.
  5. To have personal or practical knowledge; be versed or practised; be expert or dextrous.
  6. To make a difference; signify; matter.
  7. To spend acquired points in exchange for skills.

Pronunciation

skĭl /skɪl/ [skɪɫ] [skɪo̯] [skɪʊ̯] [skiːo̯] [skiːʊ̯] en-us-skill.ogg

Word forms

skill skills skil skiller skillest skilling skilled

Etymology

From Middle English skill, skille (also schil, schile), from Old Norse skil (“a distinction, discernment, knowledge”), from Proto-Germanic *skilją (“separation, limit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to split, cut”). Cognate with Danish skel (“a separation, boundary, divide”), Swedish skäl (“reason”), Dutch verschil (“difference”) and schillen (“to separate the outer layer (schil) from the product”, verb).

Synonyms

ability technique aptitude capacity craft capability competency competence cunning dexterity ease facility hand knack list prowess moxie potential proficiency skill talent tekkers touch split

Antonyms

incompetence inability ineptitude

Related words

omnicompetence skilled forte

Derived words

cyberskills de-skill deskill Dreyfus model of skill acquisition everyday skill game of skill hard skill life skill metaskill microskill midskill multiskill multiskills outskill person having ordinary skill in the art person of ordinary skill in the art pseudoskill reskill re-skill shilling skilful skillful skillage skill ceiling skill crane skill'd skilled skill floor skillfull skillfulness skill issue skill-less skillless skill-lessness skillman skill monkey skillo skill point skill set skillset skillshare skill shot skillsome skill-stop skill tester skill tree skill up skillwise skilly soft skill splinter skill subskill transferable skill unskill upskill
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