skill

A1 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /skɪl/ UK [skɪɫ] See IPA manual

Freq #4287

Meanings

1

noun
the ability to do something well, usually gained through learning or practice

Where did you pick up that skill?
2

noun
a particular ability or technique used to solve a problem or do a task

Good communication is an important skill in any job.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the ability to do something... ability

More aptitude capability capacity competence competency craft cunning dexterity ease facility hand

Opposites

inability incompetence ineptitude

Word family

Forms skills

Derived forms cyberskillsde-skilldeskillmetaskillmicroskillmidskillmultiskillmultiskillsoutskillpseudoskillre-skillreskill

Related forms forte omnicompetence skilled

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

master a skill
achieve a high level of competence in a skill

Verb + noun

Etymology

From Middle English skilen (also schillen), partly from Old English scilian (“to separate, part, divide off”); and partly from Old Norse skilja (“to divide, separate”); both from Proto-Germanic *skilōną, *skiljaną (“to divide, limit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to split, cut”). Cognate with Danish skille (“to separate, discard”), Swedish skilja (“to distinguish, differentiate, part”), Icelandic skilja (“to understand”), Low German schelen (“to make a difference; to be squint-eyed”), Dutch schelen (“to make a difference”).

skilen Middle English scilian Old English skilja Old Norse *skilōną Proto-Germanic *(s)kelH- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# skill

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /skɪl/
**IPA (UK):** [skɪɫ]
**Frequency rank:** 4287

## Meanings
1. the ability to do something well, usually gained through learning or practice
2. a particular ability or technique used to solve a problem or do a task

## Examples
- Where did you pick up that skill?
- Good communication is an important skill in any job.

## Synonyms
- ability
- aptitude
- capability
- capacity
- competence
- competency
- craft
- cunning
- dexterity
- ease
- facility
- hand

## Antonyms
- inability
- incompetence
- ineptitude

## Derived Forms
- cyberskills
- de-skill
- deskill
- metaskill
- microskill
- midskill
- multiskill
- multiskills
- outskill
- pseudoskill
- re-skill
- reskill

## Related Forms
- forte
- omnicompetence
- skilled

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: skilen
- Root: scilian
- Root: skilja
- Root: *skilōną
- Root: *(s)kelH-

## Etymology
From Middle English skilen (also schillen), partly from Old English scilian (“to separate, part, divide off”); and partly from Old Norse skilja (“to divide, separate”); both from Proto-Germanic *skilōną, *skiljaną (“to divide, limit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to split, cut”). Cognate with Danish skille (“to separate, discard”), Swedish skilja (“to distinguish, differentiate, part”), Icelandic skilja (“to understand”), Low German schelen (“to make a difference; to be squint-eyed”), Dutch schelen (“to make a difference”).

## AI Etymology
Skill is from Middle English skilen (also schillen), partly from Old English scilian (“to separate, part, divide off”); and partly from Old Norse skilja (“to divide, separate”); both from Proto-Germanic *skilōną, *skiljaną (“to divide, limit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to split, cut”). Cognate with Danish skille (“to separate, discard”), Swedish skilja (“to distinguish, differentiate, part”), Icelandic skilja (“to understand”), Low German schelen (“to make a difference; to be squint-eyed”), Dutch schelen (“to make a difference”). Important forms in the word's history include Middle English skilen, Old English scilian, Old Norse skilja, Proto-Germanic *skilōną, Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH-. In current use it includes senses such as the ability to do something well, usually gained through learning or practice and a particular ability or technique used to solve a problem or do a task.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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