# talent

Pronunciation: say "TAL-uhnt" US /ˈtælənt/, UK /ˈtalənt/

## Noun

1. A marked natural ability or skill in a particular area.
   - Simple: A natural ability to do something very well.
   - _Her talent for languages let her learn Italian in just a few months._
   - _The young pianist showed remarkable talent during the audition._
2. Skilled or gifted people considered collectively, or a single talented person.
   - Simple: Skilled people seen as a group, or one skilled person.
   - _The agency scouts emerging talent at college games._
   - _Studios compete to sign the hottest talent before their rivals do._
3. A unit of weight and money used in ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, and the Middle East, roughly 26 to 60 kilograms depending on time and place.
   - Simple: An old measure of weight and money used in ancient times.
   - _The temple treasury held several talents of gold._
   - _He owed the merchant a talent of silver by spring._
4. The people in a particular place or area, especially women, viewed as a group and sized up for their looks. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Good-looking people in a place, seen as a group.
   - _He spent the evening eyeing the talent at the bar._
   - _The new club is known for its lively crowd and plenty of talent._

## Noun

5. A desire or inclination toward a particular thing. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A wish or liking for something.

## Origin

The root is Ancient Greek τάλαντον (tálanton, "balance, a particular weight, sum of money"), which Latin borrowed as talentum ("a Grecian weight; a talent of money"); the word then passed into Old English and on into Middle English. Old French talent ("will, inclination, desire") added a sense of desire, now obsolete, while the sense of "ability" grew from the biblical Parable of the Talents.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/talent (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).