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natural talent

natural talent

12 2.9
An ability someone is born with to do something well
  • noun
  • /ˈnæʧərəl ˈtælənt/
translation icon : talento natural
  • She has a natural talent for music, playing complex pieces effortlessly.

But this person didn't have a natural talent for mathematics.

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Examples

  • Jennifer Lawrence (Elissa) is a natural talent with striking presence and undeniable energy.

    Blog text (8)
  • Ray's been chosen for his natural talent as both a creature tamer and duelist.

    Blog text (4)
  • Got a lot of natural talent.

  • You have so much natural talent.

  • If it does not come easily, then it is probably not a natural talent.

    Blog text (21)
  • And let my natural talent for this work go ignored?

  • Jones has significantly more natural talent than any of the above fighters.

    Blog text (17)
  • So Patch has natural talent but, as yet, not much clue how to use it.

  • Parents and teachers who identify a student as having a natural talent for music may feel a sense of obligation to nurture that gift.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Everyone has natural talents, predispositions, and abilities that help them to excel at different things.

    Blog text (6)

Synonyms

talent
vsnatural talent
866 1.2

An ability someone has naturally to do something well

is about an inborn skill especially in a particular field
gift
vsnatural talent
585 1.8

A natural ability to do something well, like music or languages

highlights that this ability is inborn and domain specific
a knack for
vsnatural talent
76 3.6

A natural ability to do something well

is broader, naming any inborn skill especially in a given field
aptitude
vsnatural talent
42 4.2

A natural talent for learning or doing something well

is similar but centers on being inborn for a specific domain
raw talent
vsnatural talent
9 3.4

A natural ability that is strong but not yet trained

refers to inborn skill without stressing lack of refinement
natural ability
vsnatural talent
8 3.4

A talent someone is born with that they do not learn

stresses being inborn and tied to a specific activity or field
endowment
vsnatural talent
6 6.4

A natural quality or ability someone is born with

focuses more on an inborn skill for a particular area
touch for
vsnatural talent
1 6.1

A natural ability to do something well

is more general, indicating an inborn ability across a field
natural endowment
vsnatural talent
4.9

An ability a person has from birth

specifies that the innate ability applies to a certain activity
inherent aptitude
vsnatural talent
7.0

A natural ability present from birth in people or animals

is about a born skill used especially in a particular field

Antonyms

1.0

Ability to do something well because of practice or training

How Talented

genius
252 4.9
giftedness
1 6.0
natural talent
12 2.9
ability
1.0
inability
177 2.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

natural + talent

The meaning 'an inborn ability' is directly and redundantly expressed by combining 'natural' (inborn) with 'talent' (a natural ability), so the MWE's sense is transparently derivable from its parts. This adjective+noun composition is common cross-linguistically and follows a standard English pattern, making it immediately comprehensible to B1 learners who know both words.

Etymology

Natural talent compares a skill to something in nature, like a plant that grows strong without help. If a person has a natural talent, it looks like a gift they were born with, so the phrase means an ability someone has 'from birth' or without much training.