Definition

Noun: 1. Natural aptitude or skill: A special natural ability or capacity for a particular activity or field, often implying it is innate rather than learned. 2. A person possessing such ability: An individual who has a natural aptitude or skill, especially one who shows great promise or ability in a specific area. 3. (Archaic) A unit of weight or money: An ancient unit of weight and money, used in Greece, Rome, and the Middle East.

Usage and Examples

• As a natural ability:
  • She has a remarkable talent for playing the piano by ear.
  • His artistic talent was evident from a very young age.
  • The company is always looking to recruit new talent.
• As a person with ability:
  • The young actress is a major new talent.
  • The coach is good at spotting raw talent.
  • We need to nurture the talents within our organization.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "A talent for": This is the standard collocation to indicate the specific area of skill.
  • He has a real talent for making people feel at ease.
• "To have/hide/show talent": Common verbs used with "talent."
  • Don't hide your talent; share it with the world.
• Collective use: Often used without an article to refer to talented people as a group.
  • The festival attracts musical talent from across the country.

Variants and Related Words

• Talented (adjective): Having a natural aptitude or skill.
  • She is a talented writer.
• Talentless (adjective): Lacking any special natural ability.
  • The critic called the performance talentless.
• Talent scout (noun): A person whose job is to find people with particular skills, especially in sports or entertainment.

Synonyms

• Gift: Often implies a talent regarded as divinely bestowed.
  • He has a gift for languages.
• Flair: A natural instinct or aptitude for something, often with a sense of style.
  • She has a flair for interior design.
• Aptitude: A natural ability to acquire a skill or learn something.
  • The test measures your aptitude for logical reasoning.
• Knack: A specific skill, especially one that is difficult to teach.
  • He has a knack for fixing things.

Idioms and Phrases

• Waste/hide one's talent in a napkin: To fail to use or develop one's natural abilities. (A variant of the biblical parable of the talents).
  • He has a degree in engineering but is driving a taxi; he's hiding his talent in a napkin.
• Pool of talent: A group of skilled people available for work.
  • The university provides a large pool of talent for local businesses.

Noun

1. a person who possesses unusual innate ability in some field or activity
2. natural abilities or qualities