skill S2 W1 /skɪl/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ skill , ↑ deskilling ; adjective : SKILFUL/SKILLFUL , ↑ skilled ≠ ↑ unskilled ; verb : ↑ deskill ; adverb : SKILFULLY/SKILLFULLY ]
[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old Norse ; Origin: skil 'good judgment, knowledge' ]
an ability to do something well, especially because you have learned and practised it ⇨ talent :
Reading and writing are two different skills.
Many jobs today require computer skills.
skill in/at
He was valued for his skill in raising money for the company.
with skill
The whole team played with great skill and determination.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have a skill
He didn’t have the right skills for the job.
▪ learn a skill ( also acquire a skill formal )
People can acquire new skills while they are unemployed.
▪ develop a skill
We will give you the opportunity to develop your skills.
▪ use a skill
I am sure you can use your communication skills to get your message across.
▪ require/take skill (=to need skill)
It’s a difficult task, which requires skill and experience.
▪ lack a skill (=not have a skill)
He lacked both the skills and the confidence to take on the job.
▪ hone a skill (=improve it)
The course will help you hone your writing skills.
▪ master a skill (=learn it so that your skill is very good)
Many of these children have not mastered basic academic skills.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + skill
▪ great/considerable skill (=a lot of skill)
He played with great skill.
▪ good skills
He’s got good management skills.
▪ basic skills
The basic skills can be acquired very quickly.
▪ practical skills
Students will have the opportunity to learn a lot of practical skills.
▪ technical skills
Good technical skills are not enough.
▪ management skills
She needs to develop her management skills.
▪ computer/IT skills
We’re looking for someone with good IT skills.
▪ reading/writing skills
Their reading skills are poor.
▪ communication skills (=the ability to communicate well with people)
The nurse must use her communication skills to help the patient feel at ease.
▪ social skills (=the ability to get on well with people)
Unsociable toddlers were found to have poor social skills later.
▪ people/interpersonal skills (=the ability to deal with people)
He wasn’t a good communicator and had no people skills at all.
▪ language skills (=the ability to use a language)
We need to hire people with useful language skills.
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THESAURUS
▪ skill [uncountable and countable] an ability to do something well, especially because you have learned and practised it:
He plays the piano with great skill.
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communication/language/computer etc skills
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The course will help you improve your communication skills.
▪ talent [uncountable and countable] a natural ability to do something well which can be developed with practice:
She was a young artist with a lot of talent.
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She showed a talent for acting from an early age.
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He is a man of many talents.
▪ genius [uncountable] very great ability, which only a few people have:
The opera shows Mozart’s genius as a composer.
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Picasso was a painter of genius.
▪ gift [countable] a natural ability to do something very well, which you were born with:
You can see that he has a gift for the game.
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Winterson has great gifts as a writer.
▪ flair [singular, uncountable] skill for doing something, especially something that needs imagination and creativity:
The job does require some creative flair.
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She has a flair for languages.
▪ expertise [uncountable] specialized knowledge of a technical subject, which you get from experience of doing that type of work:
The technical expertise for building the dam is being provided by a US company.
▪ a/the knack /næk/ [singular] informal a special skill for doing a particular thing, especially a simple everyday thing:
Breadmaking is easy once you get the knack.
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He has a knack for making people feel relaxed.