skilled

skilled — adjective

1. Having the training, experience, and practical knowledge needed to do a particul

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

Having the training, experience, and practical knowledge needed to do a particular type of work or activity well, because you have learned the necessary techniques over time.

Example

Sumin is a highly skilled carpenter who learned the trade from her father.

collocation: highly skilled + profession

After ten years in the kitchen, Chef Mauricio is skilled at preparing traditional Thai dishes.

pattern: skilled at + gerund

Common collocations
  • highly skilled
  • skilled at (doing) something
  • skilled in something
  • skilled worker
  • skilled professional
Synonyms
  • skillful

    Focuses on the quality of execution rather than training — a skillful performance shows fine technique.

  • expert

    Implies the highest level of mastery, often formally recognised by peers in the field.

  • proficient

    Suggests tested, measurable competence — commonly used with exams or software skills.

  • accomplished

    Adds a sense of polish and cultural breadth — an accomplished musician has refined talent.

Antonyms
  • unskilled

    Lacking training or ability for a particular type of work.

  • inexperienced

    Lacking the practice needed to perform well, though not necessarily lacking knowledge.

Usage Note

Unlike talented, which suggests natural gift, skilled emphasises ability developed through practice, instruction, or hands-on experience. The same person can be a talented beginner but not yet a skilled practitioner.

Common Mistakes

She is very skilled to speak Japanese.
She is very skilled at speaking Japanese.
skilled is followed by 'at' + gerund, not a to-infinitive.
He is skilled of repairing cars.
He is skilled in repairing cars.
the correct prepositions are 'in' or 'at', not 'of'.

2. Describing work or a job that can be done well only by a person who has received

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

Describing work or a job that can be done well only by a person who has received special training and has gained practical experience in that area, because it involves specific techniques or specialised knowledge.

Example

Electrician work is a skilled trade that requires years of classroom study and practical training.

collocation: skilled trade

The factory is hiring for skilled positions that pay more than the minimum wage.

collocation: skilled position

Common collocations
  • skilled work
  • skilled trade
  • skilled job
  • skilled position
  • skilled labour
  • skilled role
Synonyms
  • specialised

    Emphasises narrow, focused expertise — specialised medical equipment requires expert handling.

  • technical

    Highlights the need for formal, often scientific, knowledge — technical drawings require training to read.

  • qualified

    Implies an official credential or certification — a qualified electrician holds a licence.

Antonyms
  • unskilled

    Describing work that can be learned quickly without prior training — unskilled labour like basic cleaning.

  • menial

    Describing low-level work that requires little ability — often carries a more negative tone than unskilled.

Usage Note

This sense modifies the work itself, not the person doing it. Compare: 'He is a skilled welder' (sense 1 — person has ability) versus 'Welding is skilled work' (sense 2 — the job requires training). Frequently appears in compounds such as skilled labour, skilled trade, and skilled position.

Common Mistakes

My cousin works as a skilled in a factory.
My cousin works as a skilled worker in a factory.
skilled cannot be used alone as a countable noun for a person; use skilled worker or skilled employee instead.

skilled — noun

Word family

  • skill
    nounA2
  • skillful
    adjectiveB1
  • skilful
    adjectiveB1
  • skillfully
    adverbB1
  • skilfully
    adverbB1
  • unskilled
    adjectiveB2
  • semiskilled
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Skilled emphasises practical ability gained through training or hands-on experience — a skilled carpenter has spent years learning the trade. Skillful (or skilful in British English) focuses on the quality and finesse of execution: a skillful performance demonstrates fine technique and control. Expert implies the highest level of mastery, where knowledge is so deep that peers seek the person's guidance — an expert surgeon is consulted by other doctors on complex cases. Proficient suggests tested, measurable competence that meets a recognised standard, such as being a proficient user of spreadsheet software after passing a certification exam. Accomplished adds a layer of cultural polish and breadth — an accomplished musician not only plays well but has performed at professional venues. Use skilled for hands-on occupations like electrician or welder, skillful for artistic or intellectual work like writing or painting, expert for authoritative command in any field, proficient for functional competence at a benchmark, and accomplished for refined, publicly demonstrated talent.

skilled ↗skillfulexpert ↗proficient ↗accomplished ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • highly skilled
  • very skilled
  • extremely skilled
  • well skilled

Phrases

  • skilled and unskilled
  • highly skilled workforce

Prepositions

  • skilled in
  • skilled at

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEnglish

Skilled comes from the noun skill, which entered Middle English in the 1100s from Old Norse skil, meaning 'distinction', 'knowledge', or 'reason'. In Old Norse, skil was used in phrases like 'it is skill' meaning 'it is reasonable or proper'. The noun originally carried a sense of 'understanding' or 'discernment' before shifting to mean 'practical ability' by the 1300s. The suffix -ed, meaning 'possessing or having', was added to form the adjective skilled ('possessing skill'). The first recorded use of skilled in English as an adjective dates to the early 1500s. The noun usage (the skilled, referring to trained workers as a group) developed later, during the Industrial Revolution, when a clear distinction emerged between trained craftspeople and general labourers.