talents

IPA/ˈtæl.ənt/
KK[tˈælənts]IPA/ˈtæl.ənt/

talents — noun

  • talentssingular
  • talentsesplural

1. An inborn capacity that enables a person to excel at particular activities, such

1.nounB1
Definition

An inborn capacity that enables a person to excel at particular activities, such as playing an instrument, solving mathematics problems, or creating visual art.

Example

The young sculptor's remarkable talents for shaping clay and stone caught her teachers' attention early.

collocation: talents for [activity]

His talents in analytical reasoning helped him become the top candidate at the research institute.

collocation: talents in [field]

Common collocations
  • remarkable talents
  • natural talents
  • creative talents
  • talents for music
  • talents in art
Synonyms
  • gift

    Suggest a more innate, almost divine quality; 'gift' is often stronger than 'talent'

  • aptitude

    More specifically about ease of learning or natural suitability, less about creative flair

  • genius

    Implies an exceptionally high level of talent, often in one narrow area

Antonyms
  • weakness

    In contrast to a specific area of inability

  • incompetence

    Stronger antonym; lack of basic ability altogether

Grammar Patterns

talents + in + [field/skill]

talents + as + [role]

have + talents + for + [activity]

Usage Note

Countable noun; the plural form 'talents' emphasises multiple distinct abilities. Common in the patterns 'have a talent for' (uncountable, general) and 'have many talents' (plural, enumerating specific abilities).

Common Mistakes

She has talents for to sing.
She has talents for singing.
After 'talent for', use a gerund (-ing form), not an infinitive.
He has many talent in music.
He has many talents in music.
'Talents' is countable and requires the plural -s when preceded by 'many'.

2. An individual who stands out for their exceptional natural gift in a specific do

2.nounB2
Definition

An individual who stands out for their exceptional natural gift in a specific domain, such as dance, writing, or scientific research.

Example

The festival director flew to Milan to scout young talents for the upcoming dance production.

collocation: young talents / scout talents

The music school produced some of the finest talents the jazz world has ever seen.

collocation: finest talents

Common collocations
  • young talents
  • rising talents
  • great talents
  • local talents
  • emerging talents
Synonyms
  • prodigy

    Implies unusually early or youthful brilliance

  • virtuoso

    Specifically about technical mastery in a performing art

Antonyms
  • amateur

    Someone who lacks professional-level skill

Grammar Patterns

[adjective] + talents + in + [field]

the + [adjective] + talents + of + [organisation]

Usage Note

Treats the person as an embodiment of talent. When used in the plural ('talents'), it refers to a group of gifted individuals rather than their abilities. Common in talent-scouting, education, and performing-arts contexts.

Common Mistakes

She is a big talent in the lab.
She is a great talent in the lab.
'Talent' referring to a person collocates with 'great', 'real', 'exceptional', not 'big'.
The company hires many talents.' (meaning skilled staff)
For this meaning use sense 3 or rephrase as 'talented people'.

3. Workers whose advanced skills and expertise make them highly prized by an organi

3.nounB2
Definition

Workers whose advanced skills and expertise make them highly prized by an organization, and who are often actively competed for in the job market.

Example

The tech startup offered generous stock options to attract top talents from rival companies.

collocation: attract top talents

The hospital's reputation helps it retain the best nursing talents in the region.

collocation: retain talents / best talents in

Common collocations
  • top talents
  • best talents
  • local talents
  • attract talents
  • recruit talents
  • pool of talents
Synonyms
  • human capital

    More formal, economics-oriented term for skilled workers viewed as assets

  • workforce

    Broader term; includes all workers, not just the highly skilled

Grammar Patterns

top + talents + in + [industry]

attract/recruit + talents

pool of + talents

Usage Note

Treated as a collective or uncountable noun referring to skilled human resources as a group. Frequently appears in HR and management writing. In British English the singular ('talent') is more common; in American English, both 'talent' and 'talents' appear in collective use.

4. Individuals regarded as very appealing in a romantic or physical way, used infor

4.noun
Definition

Individuals regarded as very appealing in a romantic or physical way, used informally — and sometimes jokingly — when describing people noticed in a social or public setting.

Example

A group of friends stood by the bar checking out local talents at the beach club.

slang phrase: 'local talents'

The pool party was packed with local talent and thumping music.

slang: 'local talent'

Common collocations
  • local talents
Synonyms
  • eye candy

    Informal; refers to someone attractive to look at, often with no deeper value implied

Grammar Patterns

local + talents

Usage Note

This is slang and can be considered objectifying or offensive in formal or polite conversation. Most common in the fixed phrase 'local talent(s)' used by groups of friends in casual social contexts. Predominantly British English.

Common Mistakes

❌ Using 'talents' in sense 4 in a job interview or academic paper — this slang sense is only appropriate among close friends in very casual settings.

5. A historical standard for measuring weight that was used in ancient Greek, Roman

5.noun
Definition

A historical standard for measuring weight that was used in ancient Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern civilizations, with a value that varied from approximately twenty-five to forty kilograms depending on the period and region.

Example

In the Bible, a master gave his servants several talents of silver before leaving on a journey.

historical reference: Parable of the Talents

The temple wall inscription recorded a donation of three talents of gold from a wealthy merchant.

collocation: talents of gold/silver

Common collocations
  • talents of gold
  • talents of silver
  • talents of bronze
  • a talent of weight
Synonyms
  • mina

    A smaller ancient unit of weight and currency (1/60 of a talent)

  • shekel

    An ancient Near Eastern unit of weight (1/3000 of a talent)

Grammar Patterns

[number] + talents + of + [metal]

Usage Note

Almost never used in modern everyday language. Most English speakers encounter this sense only through reading ancient texts, the Bible (Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14–30), or historical fiction. The word 'talent' in this sense is the origin of the modern sense 1 via the biblical parable.

Common Mistakes

❌ 'He earned five talents of gold at his new job.' — The ancient unit of weight is not used in modern contexts; this would confuse readers.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'talents' (sense 1) refers to inborn capacities a person actively develops, 'gift' suggests a more innate, almost divinely bestowed quality — one might be 'gifted' at painting from earliest childhood. 'Aptitude' is narrower: it describes a natural readiness to learn a specific skill, such as an aptitude for languages or mechanics, without implying creative flair. 'Genius' is the strongest term, reserved for extraordinary, rare talent that fundamentally changes a field (e.g., 'the genius of Marie Curie'). 'Knack' is the lightest and most informal — a knack for fixing things implies practical cleverness rather than deep mastery. In practice, use 'gifts' for abilities that feel inborn and personal, 'aptitudes' for trainable potential, 'genius' only for world-class rarity, and 'knack' for everyday handy skills.

gift ↗aptitudegenius ↗knack ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • talent show
  • talent scout
  • talent agency
  • talent pool
  • talent competition
  • talent management

Adverbs

Phrases

  • have a talent for
  • a wealth of talent
  • a pool of talent
  • an eye for talent
  • full of talent
  • natural talent

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Old French 'talent' (disposition, will, desire), from Latin 'talentum' (a unit of weight or money), from Greek 'talanton' (balance, weight, sum of money). The shift from 'unit of money' to 'natural ability' occurred through the Parable of the Talents in the Bible (Matthew 25:14–30), where the word 'talent' originally meant a large sum of silver but was later reinterpreted as a 'gift from God'. The modern meaning developed in Middle English, and by the late 14th century 'talent' had come to mean 'natural ability or aptitude'.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a