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 expert
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
Aaron Garth Smith, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
Roberto Rodríguez, 48, was one of the most proficient dancers.
—Natalia Favre, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026
Arlyssa D. Becenti, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Hispanic kids were likewise lagging the state average, 37% proficient in English and 30% in mathematics.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proficient
Adjective
With half of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s 4th graders reading below the basic level, and just 25 percent proficient or advanced on the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress exam, a strike would be a disaster for kids.
—Aaron Garth Smith, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
Roberto Rodríguez, 48, was one of the most proficient dancers.
—Natalia Favre, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
The Ganado Unified School District saw a 159 percent increase in students who tested proficient.
—Arlyssa D. Becenti, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Hispanic kids were likewise lagging the state average, 37% proficient in English and 30% in mathematics.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proficient
Adjective
-
And their second-best defender, Jaden McDaniels, is skilled at calling the Nuggets’ names.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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While one research study found REIT investments were associated with higher spending on nursing wages, another concluded that after being bought by REITs, nursing homes frequently replaced registered nurses with less skilled nurses and aides.—
Jordan Rau,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This class, featuring insights from experts like Amy Cuddy and Sylvia Ann Hewlett, explores the concept of presence in communication and leadership, offering strategies to enhance executive presence, build confidence, and effectively manage performance anxiety for professional success.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But security experts say the name may be a flag of convenience rather than a coherent group, and its claims should be treated with caution.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The numbers also highlight how Safonov is making cross claims or sweeping outside his box more than twice the rate Chevalier is, although the Frenchman is more adept with his feet, playing more passes, completing a higher rate.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Different power plants have different beneficial attributes, and nuclear power plants are especially adept at meeting round the clock demand.—
Paige Lambermont,
Oc Register,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This new iteration was partly handled by Room40 label boss Lawrence English, who reconstructed the original master tapes and blended them with recent performances by Lockwood and Vanessa Tomlinson, who plays the gong.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
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Leaders of the gardens have been undergoing a master planning effort for more than a year in an effort to accommodate visitation of the botanical garden doubling to more than 300,000 people annually over the past decade.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Miami coach Mario Cristobal is known for his skillful recruiting of top prospects.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
-
And can that leader evolve and morph over time, hopefully becoming more skillful.—
Neil Senturia,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Van Bendegem, who would become a leading scholar on ultrafinitist logic, later addressed these concerns by considering a geometry in which a line or curve has width and is both finite and finitely divisible.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Ted Kaptchuk, an acupuncturist and leading scholar of the placebo effect, has described this phenomenon in detail.—
Hannah Kerman,
STAT,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Beyond matters of logistics, companies also take an interest in human infrastructure; that is to say, the availability of a skilled and experienced workforce.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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That means for Game 6, the pressure is squarely on the shoulders of the much younger, much less experienced Philadelphia Flyers.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In positioning Mollestad as an exploratory team player, its six tracks reveal her chops well beyond that of a showboating virtuoso.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Now the Catalan viol virtuoso returns to Zellerbach Hall with a program featuring his Hespèrion XXI and nearly three dozen international musicians in a concert weaving a range of musical traditions.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Proficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proficient. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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