skill

A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate.

Adjective

  1. Great, excellent.
    • Well, unfortunately for you, my dearest Waggipoos, I'm much more skill than you! - 1987 June, Teresa Maughan, “Letters”, in Your Sinclair, number 18:
    • This game is skill. Remember that because it's going to sound really complicated. - 1991, Wreckers (video game review in Crash issue 88, May 1991)
    • And I am skiller than you. - 1999, Andy Smith, “I am well skill”, in alt.digitiser (Usenet):

Origin

From Middle English skill, skille (also schil, schile), from Old Norse skil (“a distinction, discernment, knowledge”), from Proto-Germanic *skilją (“separation, limit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to split, cut”). Cognate with Danish skel (“a separation, boundary, divide”), Swedish skäl (“reason”), Dutch verschil (“difference”) and schillen (“to separate the outer layer (schil) from the product”, verb).

Forms

skiller skillest skil

Noun

  1. A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate.
    • Where did you pick up that skill?
    • With great skill, she navigated through the tricky passage.
    • Doing that coaching course not only taught me useful skills on the field, but also some important life skills.

    Synonyms: ability

    Coordinate Terms: talent[Appendix:Glossary knowledge training education

  2. A reusable configuration (prompt) that defines how an AI agent performs a specific task.
  3. Discrimination; judgment; propriety; reason; cause.
    • Him so I sought, and so at last I fownd Where him that witch had thralled to her will, In chaines of lust and lewde desyres ybownd And so transformed from his former skill, That me he knew not, nether his owne ill; -...
    • Methinks I should know you, and know this man; Yet I am doubtful; for I am mainly ignorant What place this is; and all the skill I have Remembers not these garments; nor I know not Where I did lodge last night. […] - c....
  4. Knowledge; understanding.
    • And Howell Dha shall goodly well indew The salvage minds with skill of just and trew; - 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, ,...
    • […] This desert soil Wants not her hidden lustre, gems and gold; Nor want we skill or art from whence to raise Magnificence […] - 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and...
    • 'I kenna whatna man ye are,' he says, 'but ye have the skill of lassies' hearts. Tell me truly, is there no way to win her to common love?' - 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:
  5. Display of art; exercise of ability; contrivance; address.
    • Richard was well ſtored with men, the bones; and quickly got money, the ſinews of warre; by a thousand Princely ſkills gathering ſo much coin as if he meant not to return, becauſe looking back would unbowe his...

Forms

skills skil

Synonyms

ability technique aptitude capacity craft capability competency competence cunning dexterity ease facility hand knack list prowess moxie potential proficiency skill talent tekkers touch

Antonyms

incompetence inability ineptitude

Related

omnicompetence skilled forte

Derived

cyberskills de-skill deskill Dreyfus model of skill acquisition everyday skill game of skill hard skill life skill metaskill microskill midskill multiskill multiskills outskill person having ordinary skill in the art person of ordinary skill in the art pseudoskill reskill re-skill shilling skilful skillful skillage skill ceiling

Verb

  1. To set apart; separate.
  2. To discern; have knowledge or understanding; to know how (to).
    • I cannot skill of these Thy ways […] - 1633, George Herbert, “Justice”, in The Temple:
  3. To know; to understand.
    • As for the virginals I have none here that skill of them, except the young lord. - 1613, Breadalbane Letters, Documents:
    • 17th century, Isaac Barrow, “On Industry in Our Particular Calling as Scholars,” […] to skill the arts of expressing our mind and imparting our conceptions with advantage, so as to instruct or persuade others […]
  4. To have knowledge or comprehension; discern.
  5. To have personal or practical knowledge; be versed or practised; be expert or dextrous.
  6. To make a difference; signify; matter.
    • So then the whole scripture of God, being true, whence soever this be delivered and gathered, it skilleth not […] - 1592, Richard Turnbull, An Exposition upon the Canonicall Epistle of Saint Jude, London: John Windet,...
    • […] I should have given’t you to-day morning, but as a madman’s epistles are no gospels, so it skills not much when they are delivered. - c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You...
    • What skills it, if a bag of stones or gold About thy neck do drown thee? - 1633, George Herbert, “The Church Porch”, in The Temple:
  7. To spend acquired points in exchange for skills.

Origin

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”).

Forms

skills skilling skilled

Synonyms

split