Skip to content
GREMockTests
GRE vocabulary

aptitude

nounHigh-frequency wordMore A words

a natural ability or talent for acquiring a particular skill

Word origin: From Latin aptitudo, fitness, from aptus fit.

Test your vocabulary in a real test Full-length · no signup · instant score
In a sentence

Aptitude in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing aptitude in a sentence.

His aptitude for languages allowed him to become fluent in Mandarin within two years.

Early tests revealed a striking aptitude for languages that her teachers had overlooked.

Synonyms
talentfacultyflairknack
Antonyms
ineptitudeinabilityincompetence
Usage & nuance

Using “aptitude” well

Aptitude denotes a natural capacity to learn or do something well, emphasizing potential more than current accomplishment. It is the talent for acquiring a skill, not the skill itself.

Common questions

Questions about “aptitude

Aptitude (noun) means a natural ability or talent for acquiring a particular skill
Here is aptitude used in an example sentence: "His aptitude for languages allowed him to become fluent in Mandarin within two years." Another example: "Early tests revealed a striking aptitude for languages that her teachers had overlooked."
Common synonyms for aptitude include talent, faculty, flair, knack.
Antonyms of aptitude include ineptitude, inability, incompetence.
Aptitude pairs with talent, faculty, flair, and knack in GRE Verbal. Its antonyms ineptitude, inability, and incompetence mark the lack of capacity a passage may set against it.
Yes. Aptitude is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

See these words the way the GRE tests them.

Definitions in isolation do not stick. Sit a free, full-length GRE mock and meet this vocabulary inside real text completion and sentence equivalence questions, with your score and a worked solution for every answer.