as in skilled
having or showing exceptional knowledge, experience, or skill in a field of endeavor
she is quite proficient at computer repair a proficient rendition of a difficult piano piece
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in adept
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field
an urgent call by the state department for proficients in Arabic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of proficient
Elias Burke, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
The video, which looked like a potential crisis, was actually just a fun, spontaneous moment for a swimming-proficient dog.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proficient
Adjective
Raheem Sterling, who arrived at Manchester City in 2015 from Liverpool as a creative wide dribbler, became one of the most proficient goalscorers from the wing in Premier League history in his prime under Pep Guardiola, and Johnson’s career could be on course to follow a similar path.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
The video, which looked like a potential crisis, was actually just a fun, spontaneous moment for a swimming-proficient dog.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
Pre-pandemic, 14% of economically disadvantaged third graders in Romulus scored advanced on the M-STEP reading test and 18% scored proficient.
—Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proficient
Adjective
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Set in 1819 Hispaniola, just prior to the Dominican Republic’s push for independence, the drama centers on an unexpected trio – a young Spanish noble, a skilled Chinese silk artisan and a Haitian soldier who’s abandoned his post.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
8 Sep. 2025
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Rather, the bots are skilled at mimicking human reactions to stressful situations, responding to users in ways that often reflect racist and sexist biases.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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An effective trustee is skilled in conflict resolution and adept at maintaining open communication while prioritizing the trust’s objectives.—
Royce Ramey,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Slot shares this staple of Tottenham counterpart Ange Postecoglou’s attacking principles, with Porro adept at tucking inside to disrupt the opposition shape.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The more success rolled, the more damage done, the more skillful the hack and so on.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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Powell, skillful at opaque Fed-speak, nonetheless signaled a simulative change is likely.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Multiple rights experts and scholars say Israel's military assault on Gaza amounts to genocide.—
Jarrett Renshaw,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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Bond yields are shaped in part by expectations of the benchmark interest rate set by the Fed, some experts said.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In an effort to adapt to these circumstances, Manuylov wrote his book Snowboarding Without Falls (Well, Almost) to help teach intermediate snowboarders how to educate their less experienced friends or partners.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Foster remembered a show Chee produced at a Western Pyrotechnic Association convention that impressed even the most experienced pyrotechnicians.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Merging with Teck will almost certainly be the master stroke in removing it from any plans by BHP to return with a fresh offer for Anglo American.—
Tim Treadgold,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Moreover, Southern bakers have been perfecting this treat for generations, and our recipe masters the most classic version, staying largely the same since its first appearances in our annual Southern Living cookbooks as early as the 1960s and 1970s.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Multiple rights experts and scholars say Israel's military assault on Gaza amounts to genocide.—
Jarrett Renshaw,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
An outer wall of the exhibit includes commentary through the centuries from great poets and scholars about the awe-inspiring site.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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MetLiveArts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s performing arts series, will kick off its 2025-2026 season tomorrow night with a program featuring pipa virtuoso Wu Man.—
Jane Levere,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Jorge Luis Pacheco takes the Break room stage Saturday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. Hailing from Havana, Cuba, Pacheco is a virtuoso pianist, singer, composer, percussionist and arranger.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Proficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proficient. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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