I. -nt adjective
Etymology: Latin proficient-, proficiens, present participle of proficere to go forward, make progress, accomplish, be advantageous, from pro- forward + -ficere (from facere to make, do) — more at pro- , do
: well advanced in an art, occupation, skill, or a branch of knowledge : unusually efficient
an experienced person, trained and proficient in his job — F.G.Nesbitt
Synonyms:
adept , skilled , skillful , expert , masterly : these adjectives all mean having the knowledge and experience to be extremely competent in a given line of work or endeavor. proficient stresses a competence derived from training and practice
a technically proficient pianist — Edward Sackville-West & Desmond Shawe-Taylor
proficient in mathematics and philosophy — H.H.Shenk
proficient in the art of self-defense — G.B.Shaw
adept usually adds to proficient the idea of aptitude or cleverness
adept at speechmaking
newspapers became adept at handling crime news — American Guide Series: California
adept at making up with cosmetics and dress for what nature may not have given her — Walter Le Beau
skilled , for the most part interchangeable with proficient , usually suggests a proficiency in the technique of an art or profession but often in industrial use signifying only that one has met a minimum standard set up for a special type of work or job
contribute many skilled performers to the figure-skating troupes — American Guide Series: Minnesota
a skilled musician
skilled artisans
skillful stresses dexterity in execution or performance
skillful in sketching, pen portraiture and caricature — H.H.Reichard
a fast, energetic and skillful campaign — G.W.Johnson
skillful in the use of the hand tools — H.D.Burghardt & Aaron Axelrod
expert stresses extraordinary proficiency or adeptness
an expert mimic — Alexander Forbes
an expert horseman
expert and inept raconteurs — Yale Review
masterly , usually applying to the thing executed or accomplished, adds to the idea of competence and adeptness that of confident control
his command of English was so masterly — Lucien Price
in two masterly sentences he summed up Captain Guy's character — Herman Melville
a masterly accomplishment in workmanship, detail, and symbolism — American Guide Series: New York City
II. noun
( -s )
1. obsolete : one that shows signs of definite progress to his objective
2. : one well advanced in any business, art, science, or branch of learning : adept , expert
Shakespeare is their true proficient — I.A.Richards
she was a proficient in music — T.L.Peacock