French word

habileté

Pronunciation

IPA/abiləte/

Meaning

  • feminine noundexterity

Example

Elle a toujours montré une grande habileté pour les travaux manuels.

She has always shown great dexterity in manual work.

Illustration for habileté (dexterity)

More examples

Son habileté en cuisine impressionne toujours les invités.

His cooking skill always impresses the guests.

Core concept

A deft hand that adapts its skill and ingenuity to handle a situation with tact.

Common phrases

  • habileté en cuisine

    cooking skill

  • habileté sociale

    social skill

Similar words

adresse: Skill in performing delicate tasks with the hands.
compétence: The ability to apply learned knowledge and skills effectively in a field.
savoir-faire: The ability to behave appropriately with social awareness and good manners.
astuce: A simple, effective idea or technique for solving a problem.

Definition in French

Disposition ou habitude d'agir avec ingéniosité et finesse, montrant adresse et tact dans une situation donnée.

Word origin

Habileté comes through Old French from Latin habilitas, based on habilis, meaning fit or manageable, and developed toward skill and deftness.

Usage tips

  • Habileté is a feminine noun, so standard forms include une grande habileté and beaucoup d'habileté.

Other meanings

  • skillnoun
  • clevernessnoun
  • abilitynoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word