PROFICIENCY

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does proficiency mean? 

• PROFICIENCY (noun)
  The noun PROFICIENCY has 2 senses:

1. the quality of having great facility and competence

2. skillfulness in the command of fundamentals deriving from practice and familiarity

  Familiarity information: PROFICIENCY used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PROFICIENCY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The quality of having great facility and competence

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("proficiency" is a kind of...):

competence; competency (the quality of being adequately or well qualified physically and intellectually)

Derivation:

proficient (having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Skillfulness in the command of fundamentals deriving from practice and familiarity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

proficiency; technique

Context example:

practice greatly improves proficiency

Hypernyms ("proficiency" is a kind of...):

skillfulness (the state of being cognitively skillful)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "proficiency"):

brushwork (an artist's distinctive technique of applying paint with a brush)

musketry (the technique of using small arms (especially in battle))

Derivation:

proficient (having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude)

 Context examples 

Writing and accounts she was taught by her father; French by her mother: her proficiency in either was not remarkable, and she shirked her lessons in both whenever she could.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Mr. Darcy spoke with affectionate praise of his sister's proficiency.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

The recipient of this degree must have demonstrated proficiency in a broad area of learning and the ability to critically evaluate work in the discipline.

(Doctor of Philosophy, NCI Thesaurus)

My ardour was indeed the astonishment of the students, and my proficiency that of the masters.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

In addition, the clinical specialist has proficiency in planning, implementing, and evaluating programs, resources, services, and research for health care delivery to complex clients.

(Home Health Nurse Specialist, NCI Thesaurus)

In about a month’s time, I had made a tolerable proficiency in their language, and was able to answer most of the king’s questions, when I had the honour to attend him.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

“You are aware that I have some proficiency in the good old British sport of boxing. Occasionally, it is of service, to-day, for example, I should have come to very ignominious grief without it.”

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A mind of moderate capacity which closely pursues one study must infallibly arrive at great proficiency in that study; and I, who continually sought the attainment of one object of pursuit and was solely wrapped up in this, improved so rapidly that at the end of two years I made some discoveries in the improvement of some chemical instruments, which procured me great esteem and admiration at the university.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

My master was eager to learn whence I came; how I acquired those appearances of reason, which I discovered in all my actions; and to know my story from my own mouth, which he hoped he should soon do by the great proficiency I made in learning and pronouncing their words and sentences.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Four times a year the youth of a certain district meet to show their proficiency in running and leaping, and other feats of strength and agility; where the victor is rewarded with a song in his or her praise.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)