Dictionary / talent
talent
- noun
- from Ancient Greek
A marked natural ability or skill.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “talent” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
noun
- countableuncountableA marked natural ability or skill.
He has a real talent for drawing.
- countableuncountablePeople of talent, viewed collectively; a talented person.
The director searched their talent pool to fill the new opening.
- countableslanguncountableOne, especially a woman, from a particular place or area, judged by their attractiveness.
Not much talent in this bar tonight—let's hit the clubs.
Older & obsolete senses (2)
- countablehistoricaluncountableA historical unit of weight and money used in ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, and the Middle East, equal to about 30 to 60 kg in various times and places.
- countableobsoleteuncountableA desire or inclination for something.
Cross-check: WordNet senses (2)
- nounnatural abilities or qualities — also: endowment, gift, natural endowment
- nouna person who possesses unusual innate ability in some field or activity
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)talent
- Middle Englishtalent
- Old Englishtalente
- Old Englishthe
- Ancient Greekτάλαντον (tálanton) “balance, a particular weight, especially of gold, sum of money, a talent”
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.
Derivatives — words built from “talent”
Phrases & compounds
Want to go deeper? See also “talent” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “talent” came from before it was English.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
talent n. [F., fr. L. talentum a talent (in sense 1), Gr. ta`lanton a balance, anything weighed, a definite weight, a talent; akin to tlh^nai to bear, endure, tolma^n, L. tolerare, tollere, to lift up, sustain, endure. See Thole, v. t., Tolerate.]
- Among the ancient Greeks, a weight and a denomination of money equal to 60 minae or 6,000 drachmae. The Attic talent, as a weight, was about 57 lbs. avoirdupois; as a denomination of silver money, its value was <pound/243 15s. sterling, or about $1,180 (using 1900 values).
- Among the Hebrews, a weight and denomination of money. For silver it was equivalent to 3,000 shekels, and in weight was equal to about 93<frac34/ lbs. avoirdupois; as a denomination of silver, it has been variously estimated at from <pound/340 to <pound/396 sterling, or about $1,645 to $1,916 (ca. 1900). For gold it was equal to 10,000 gold shekels.
- Inclination; will; disposition; desire.
- Intellectual ability, natural or acquired; mental endowment or capacity; skill in accomplishing; a special gift, particularly in business, art, or the like; faculty; a use of the word probably originating in the Scripture parable of the talents (Matt. xxv. 14-30).
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
nounMeaning: A marked natural ability or skill.
He has a real talent for drawing.
Feel awfully about Scott... I always knew he couldn't think—he never could—but he had a marvelous talent and the thing is to use it—not whine in public.1936 February 15, Ernest Hemingway, edited by Matthew J. Bruccoli and Judith Baughman, The Sons of Maxwell Perkins: Letters of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Wolfe, and Their Editor (letter to Maxwell Perk
nounMeaning: People of talent, viewed collectively; a talented person.
The director searched their talent pool to fill the new opening.
And all over Hollywood, suits are licking their chops at the prospect of more malleable actors. “She’s not going to talk back,” one top talent wrangler told me dryly.2025 October 4, Maureen Dowd, “When A.I. Came for Hollywood”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Oct 2025:
nounMeaning: One, especially a woman, from a particular place or area, judged by their attractiveness.
Not much talent in this bar tonight—let's hit the clubs.
I went down to the beach front, of course, for that was the first thing that all Vaalies did: to look at the sea and to check the talent on the beach.2011, Nic Venter, Wow! What a Life!, page 179:
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
talent
/ˈtæl.ənt/ · tal·ent
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
talent
/ˈtæl.ənt/ · tal·ent · noun
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “talent” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — Which meaning is it?
“He has a real talent for drawing.”
Circle the meaning used.
“The director searched their talent pool to fill the new opening.”
Circle the meaning used.
“Not much talent in this bar tonight—let's hit the clubs.”
Circle the meaning used.
Step 4 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “talent” and what each means:
Step 5 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Ancient Greek τάλαντον. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 6 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — talent
Which meaning, sentence 1: A. A marked natural ability or skill.
Which meaning, sentence 2: C. People of talent, viewed collectively; a talented person.
Which meaning, sentence 3: A. One, especially a woman, from a particular place or area, judged by their attractiveness.
Origin: C. Ancient Greek (Ancient Greek τάλαντον)
Journey: English talent ← Middle English talent ← Old English talente ← Old English the ← Ancient Greek τάλαντον
Some derivatives: cybertalent, multitalent, nontalent, outtalent, talentful, talentless, talent-spotter, talent-spotting
Original meaning: Ancient Greek τάλαντον — “balance, a particular weight, especially of gold, sum of money, a talent”
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.
Sources: Wiktionary “talent” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/talent#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/talent