Proficients

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Having advanced skills or expertise in a particular area or field
2. being highly competent and capable in performing tasks effectively
3. demonstrating a thorough understanding and proficiency in specific knowledge or abilities

Etymology: "Proficients" is simply the plural of "proficient," used as a noun for people who have advanced skill or expertise in a particular field. The singular form, which can also be an adjective meaning skilled in a task, comes from Latin "proficiens," the present participle of "proficere," meaning "to go forward, advance, make progress, succeed, or be profitable or useful." That verb was built from "pro," meaning "forth" or "forward," and "facere," meaning "to make" or "do." The original picture is one of moving ahead: someone who proficit was making headway, getting somewhere. English took the word from that Latin root, so the sense of advancing through effort survives in the idea of a person who has made real progress in a skill.

Synonyms: experts, adepts, masters

Antonyms: novices, amateurs