Meaning & use
expert
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person with deep knowledge or great skill in a subject or activity.
Grammar: Often followed by in or on: an expert in law.
Patterns
- an expert in something
- an expert on something
She is an expert in marine biology.
Ask an expert before you buy a used car.
adjectivebefore a noun
Having or showing great skill or knowledge.
Grammar: Before a noun: expert advice; after be with at: expert at chess.
Patterns
- expert at something
He gave expert advice on gardening.
She is expert at fixing old clocks.
Word forms
| plural | experts |
|---|---|
| comparative | more expert |
| superlative | most expert |
Common combinations
- expert in
- He is an expert in tax law.
- expert opinion
- We need an expert opinion.
- expert witness
- An expert witness testified.
- leading expert
- She is a leading expert on climate.
- expert advice
- Seek expert advice.
Synonyms and how they differ
- specialist
- A specialist focuses on one narrow area.
- authority
- Authority means a person whose views are widely trusted.
- master
- Master suggests the highest level of skill in a craft.
Opposites
Word family
- expertise noun
- expert skill or knowledge
- expertly adverb
- with great skill
Commonly confused: expert or expertise?
expert vs expertise
Expertise is the knowledge itself; an expert is the person.
Practice
She is an ___ on medieval history and often speaks on television.
Choose one answer.
Expert on means a person with deep knowledge. Expertise is the skill, not the person.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “expert”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.