Word
Definitions
01natural ability
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a natural skill or ability to do something very well.
n. an innate or acquired capacity for achievement or success in a specific field.
日本語:才能※
“He has a real talent for drawing and spends all his free time sketching.”
“The young pianist demonstrated an extraordinary talent for interpretation, bringing a fresh perspective to a well-known classical piece.”
Pitfall
She has a talent of playing the piano.
She has a talent for playing the piano.
The noun 'talent' usually takes the preposition 'for' when followed by a gerund or noun phrase.
02talented people
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Business
n. people who are very good at something, often used in business or sports.
n. people of high ability or potential viewed collectively, often within a specific industry or organisation.
“The company is always looking for new talent to join their design team.”
“The recruitment agency specialises in identifying top-tier talent for executive positions within the renewable energy sector.”
03attractive people
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Informal · Slang
n. a group of people you find physically attractive.
n. a collective reference to people considered physically attractive in a specific social setting.
“There was a lot of local talent at the beach party last night.”
“He joked that he only attended the opening night of the festival to check out the local talent.”
Synonyms
04ancient money
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic
n. a unit of weight or money used in very old times, like in ancient Greece.
n. an ancient unit of weight and value, particularly used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern civilisations.
“In the ancient story, the king gave the servant a talent of gold.”
“The historical text mentions that the tribute paid to the empire amounted to several hundred talents of silver annually.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “talent” in context.
Verb
01. display talent
“The exhibition allows students to display their artistic talent to the public.”
verb + noun
02. nurture talent
“The academy aims to nurture young talent and prepare them for professional careers.”
verb + noun
03. spot talent
“Scouts are always attending local matches to spot new talent.”
verb + noun
04. talent emerges
“Musical talent often emerges at a very early stage of childhood.”
noun + verb
Adjective
05. considerable talent
“He is a writer of considerable talent who has won several awards.”
adj + noun
06. hidden talent
“The competition is a great way for people to show off their hidden talents.”
adj + noun
07. natural talent
“She has a natural talent for music that was obvious from a young age.”
adj + noun
08. raw talent
“The coach spotted his raw talent and decided to train him for the national team.”
adj + noun
Noun
09. pool of talent
“The company has a huge pool of talent to choose from for the new role.”
noun + prep + noun
10. a man of many talents
“Our new neighbor is a man of many talents, from cooking to carpentry.”
11. squander one's talent
“He squandered his talent by refusing to practice or take advice.”
12. talent for something
“He has a remarkable talent for making people feel at ease.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/talent
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0