very skilled; proficient; expert: an adept juggler.
nounad·ept[ad-ept, uh-dept] /ˈæd ɛpt, əˈdɛpt/
a skilled or proficient person; expert.
Origin of adept
First recorded in 1655–65; from Medieval Latin adeptus “one who has attained (the secret of transmuting metals),” noun use of Latin past participle of adipiscī “to attain to” (ad- “toward” + -ep- combining form of ap- in aptus + -tus past participle suffix); see ad-, apt
historical usage of adept
The Latin noun adepti “those who have attained knowledge of the esoteric secrets of alchemy,” seems first to have appeared in the works of the Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus, and later, in the works of the Flemish chemist and physician Jan Baptista van Helmont. Twice in Ulysses, James Joyce uses the noun adept in reference to Madame Blavatsky and her Theosophical Society. The noun adept originally meant “one who has gained knowledge of the of alchemy, the occult, hermetic philosophy, and magic,” which is Joyce’s use of the word. As both noun and adjective, it developed the more general sense “(a person) highly skilled or proficient in a subject.” The adjective adept appears about a quarter of a century before the noun, but they have the same etymology, coming from Latin adeptus, the perfect participle of adipiscī “to overtake, catch up with, obtain, achieve.” Adipiscī is a compound formation of the preposition and prefix ad, ad-, here in the sense of “reaching,” and the verb apiscī “to seize hold of, grasp.” Apiscī is a frequentative verb formed from the rare verb apere “to fasten, attach, bind,” whose perfect participle aptus “tied, bound, connected, fitted with, ready for” is very common in Latin and is the source of English apt.
Its CEO is adept at drawing attention to himself and his companies.
Does Elon Musk even need a PR department?|Adam Lashinsky|October 8, 2020|Fortune
That drove her to become adept at calculating the influence of gluons, which help keep protons intact.
Seeing a bright future for science in these innovators|Nancy Shute|October 4, 2020|Science News
New England has been particularly adept at taking away Mahomes’s favorite receivers, which shouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with a Belichick game plan.
Patrick Mahomes Just Doesn’t Have Bad Games|Josh Hermsmeyer|October 2, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
As sports betting becomes more and more reliant on technology, you have to wonder what sort of an edge there is to be gained by bettors who are more analytically adept.
The Economics of Sports Gambling (Ep. 388 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|August 20, 2020|Freakonomics
Adebayo is also useful as a traditional big man who rolls to the rim, and Robinson is more than adept at spacing the offense.
The Miami Heat’s Dynamic Duo Could Make Noise In The Playoffs|Michael Pina|August 12, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Dawkins is an adept cultural fire-conductor; the title of his bestselling book The God Delusion gives a clear indicator why.
Atheist King Richard Dawkins’ Rape Fantasy|Tim Teeman|July 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As a former law professor at several elite law schools, he is adept at discussing high constitutional theory.
The Outside Game of Justice Scalia, a Loner With Clout|David Fontana|June 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Through the years he became just as adept at politics as he was on horseback.
The Cowboy Sheriff of Las Vegas Rides Into ‘Mob Museum’|John L. Smith|June 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Gosling is just as adept at wearing what Jannuzzi says is the next trend for summer: the tank top.
Jude Law and the Great Male ‘He-Vage’ Crisis|Tim Teeman|May 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These same companies have also been adept at circumventing user privacy and avoiding their tax obligations.
Silicon Valley’s Giants Are Just Gilded Age Tycoons in Techno-Utopian Clothes|Joel Kotkin|April 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was a hearty, humorous person, however, and an adept at searching for news.
Campaigns of a Non-Combatant,|George Alfred Townsend
To dissipate the too suspicious silence, I have occasionally made curious sounds, at which I am an adept.
Darkness and Dawn|Frederic W. Farrar
Despite his greater size, Treadwell was himself nimble and an adept at footwork.
Dave Darrin's Second Year at Annapolis|H. Irving Hancock
Many peacocks and other birds were met with, and Ralph became quite an adept in shooting them.
Ralph Denham's Adventures in Burma|George Norway
An Indian jockey is the shrewdest of his class, and is an adept at all the tricks of the trade.
Ted Strong's Motor Car|Edward C. Taylor
British Dictionary definitions for adept
adept
adjective (əˈdɛpt)
very proficient in something requiring skill or manual dexterity
skilful; expert
noun (ˈædɛpt)
a person who is skilled or proficient in something
Derived forms of adept
adeptly, adverbadeptness, noun
Word Origin for adept
C17: from Medieval Latin adeptus, from Latin adipiscī to attain, from ad- to + apiscī to attain