talent

A2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈtælənt/ UK /ˈtælənt/ See IPA manual

Freq #2177

Meanings

1

noun
A natural ability to do something well.

She has a real talent for music.
2

noun
People who have natural ability, considered as a group.

The company is always looking for new talent.
3

noun
A person who has unusual natural ability in a particular field.

The young player is a rare talent.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a natural ability to do... gift endowment

Word family

Forms talents

Derived forms talent-spottertalent-spotting

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

raw talent
strong natural ability that has not yet been fully trained or developed

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Talent comes ultimately from Greek talanton and originally referred to a unit of weight used by the Babylonians, Assyrians, Romans, and Greeks. Its Middle English sense “natural aptitude or skill” arose from the biblical parable of the talents, in which servants are entrusted with talents of silver and differ in how well they use them.

Etymology

From Middle English talent, from Old English talente, borrowed from the plural of Latin talentum (“a Grecian weight; a talent of money”), from Ancient Greek τάλαντον (tálanton, “balance, a particular weight, especially of gold, sum of money, a talent”). Compare Old High German talenta (“talent”). Later figurative senses are from Old French talent (“talent, will, inclination, desire”), derived from the biblical Parable of the Talents.

*telh₂- (bear) Proto-Indo-European talent Middle English talente Old English talentum Latin τάλαντον Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Register & Style

External links

# talent

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈtælənt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈtælənt/
**Frequency rank:** 2177

## Meanings
1. A natural ability to do something well.
2. People who have natural ability, considered as a group.
3. A person who has unusual natural ability in a particular field.

## Examples
- She has a real talent for music.
- The company is always looking for new talent.
- The young player is a rare talent.

## Derived Forms
- talent-spotter
- talent-spotting

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *telh₂- (bear)
- Root: talent
- Root: talente
- Root: talentum
- Root: τάλαντον

## Etymology
From Middle English talent, from Old English talente, borrowed from the plural of Latin talentum (“a Grecian weight; a talent of money”), from Ancient Greek τάλαντον (tálanton, “balance, a particular weight, especially of gold, sum of money, a talent”). Compare Old High German talenta (“talent”). Later figurative senses are from Old French talent (“talent, will, inclination, desire”), derived from the biblical Parable of the Talents.

## AI Etymology
Talent is from Middle English talent, from Old English talente, borrowed from the plural of Latin talentum (“a Grecian weight; a talent of money”), from Ancient Greek τάλαντον (tálanton, “balance, a particular weight, especially of gold, sum of money, a talent”). Compare Old High German talenta (“talent”). Later figurative senses are from Old French talent (“talent, will, inclination, desire”), derived from the biblical Parable of the Talents.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Register & Style

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