Aptitude — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈap-tə-ˌtüd/ ap·ti·tude

Meaning & Definition of Aptitude

Aptitude (noun)

  1. inclination, tendency
  2. a natural ability, talent
  3. capacity for learning

Aptitude (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a habitual attraction to some activity or thing

    "bored teenagers with an aptitude for getting into trouble"

    similar: affection, affinity, bent, bias, bone, devices, disposition, genius, habitude, impulse, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn
    related: favor, one-sidedness, partisanship, prejudice, endowment, faculty, flair, gift, knack, talent, addiction, appetite, fancy, fondness, like, liking, preference, taste, forte, speciality, specialty, convention, custom, habit, pattern, practice, routine, trick, way, wont, eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, kink, oddity, peculiarity, quirk, singularity
    near: allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disinclination, dislike, disliking, disrelish, distaste, detachment, impartiality, neutrality, objectivity, apathy, disinterestedness, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern

  2. a special and usually inborn ability

    "has an aptitude for math"

    similar: bent, endowment, faculty, flair, genius, gift, head, knack, talent
    related: affinity, bias, disposition, habitude, impulse, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn, ear, eye, mind, nose, feel, hang, instinct, touch, way, capability, competence, facility, proficiency, skill, capacity, potential, power, forte, specialism, speciality, specialty
    near: disability, handicap, inability, incapacity, shortcoming, weakness

Related Entry: Aptitude test (noun)

Aptitude test is a different word from Aptitude. The synonyms below are for aptitude test, not for aptitude.

  1. as in intelligence test, placement test

    similar: intelligence test, placement test, exam, examination, quiz, test, pretest, retest, board(s), midterm, midyear, catechism, audition, final, checkup, inspection, review, inquiry, interrogation, investigation, probe, research

Related Entry: Aptitude tests (noun)

Aptitude tests is a different word from Aptitude. The synonyms below are for aptitude tests, not for aptitude.

  1. as in intelligence tests, placement tests

    similar: intelligence tests, placement tests, examinations, exams, quizzes, tests, pretests, retests, boards, midterms, midyears, catechisms, auditions, finals, checkups, inspections, reviews, inquiries, interrogations, investigations, probes, researches

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Aptitude

The most common words with a similar meaning to Aptitude:

affection, affinity, bent, bias, bone, devices, disposition, genius, habitude, impulse, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn, endowment, faculty, flair, gift, head, knack, talent

Related Words for Aptitude

favor, one-sidedness, partisanship, prejudice, addiction, appetite, fancy, fondness, like, liking, preference, taste, forte, speciality, specialty, convention, custom, habit, pattern, practice, routine, trick, way, wont, eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, kink, oddity, peculiarity, quirk

Near Antonyms of Aptitude

allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disinclination, dislike, disliking, disrelish, distaste, detachment, impartiality, neutrality, objectivity, apathy, disinterestedness, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern, disability, handicap, inability, incapacity, shortcoming, weakness

Word Forms of Aptitude

Derived words: aptitudinal (adjective), aptitudinally (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Aptitude

Middle English, "tendency, likelihood," borrowed from Medieval Latin aptitūdō, going back to Late Latin, "fitness," from Latin aptus "fastened, prepared, suitable, fitting" + -i- -i- + -tūdō -tude apt:1

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Aptitude

Words & Phrases Containing Aptitude

aptitude test

Frequently Asked Questions about Aptitude

What does "Aptitude" mean?

"Aptitude" means inclination, tendency. As a noun, it is defined as: inclination, tendency. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Aptitude"?

Other words for "Aptitude" include affection, affinity, bent, bias, bone, devices, disposition and genius. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Aptitude" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Aptitude"?

There are 75 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Aptitude". Common alternatives include affection, affinity, bent, bias, bone, devices, disposition, genius, habitude and impulse.

How do you use "Aptitude" in a sentence?

Examples of "Aptitude" in a sentence: "bored teenagers with an aptitude for getting into trouble"; "has an aptitude for math".

Is "Aptitude" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Aptitude" is a noun.

Is "Aptitude" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Aptitude" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Aptitude"?

"Aptitude" is pronounced /ˈap-tə-ˌtüd/ and divided into syllables as ap·ti·tude.

What is the origin of the word "Aptitude"?

"Aptitude" comes from Middle English, "tendency, likelihood," borrowed from Medieval Latin aptitūdō, going back to Late Latin, "fitness," from Latin aptus "fastened, prepared, suitable, fitting" + -i- -i- + -tūdō -tude apt:1. First known use: 15th century.