different between expert vs keen

English

Etymology

From Old French, from Latin expertus.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /??ksp?t/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??ksp??t/

Adjective

expert (comparative more expert, superlative most expert)

1. Extraordinarily capable or knowledgeable.

   I am expert at making a simple situation complex.

   My cousin is an expert pianist.

2. Characteristic of an expert.

   This problem requires expert knowledge.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:skillful

Antonyms

• inexpert
• nonexpert

Related terms

• expert system

Translations

Noun

expert (plural experts)

1. A person with extensive knowledge or ability in a given subject.
   • If an expert says it can't be done, get another expert. - David Ben-Gurion

2. (chess) A player ranking just below master.

Synonyms

• maven
• specialist

Hyponyms

• connoisseur

Translations

Further reading

• "expert" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 129.

Anagrams

• pretex, xerept

Catalan

Adjective

expert (feminine experta, masculine plural experts, feminine plural expertes)

1. expert

Noun

expert m (plural experts, feminine experta)

1. expert

   Synonym: perit

Further reading

• “expert” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [??ksp?rt]

Noun

expert m

1. expert (person with extensive knowledge or ability in a given subject)

   Synonyms: odborník, znalec

Related terms

• expertní

Further reading

• expert in P?íru?ní slovník jazyka ?eského, 1935–1957
• expert in Slovník spisovného jazyka ?eského, 1960–1971, 1989

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch expert, from Middle French expert, from Old French expert, from Latin expertus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (chiefly Netherlands) /?k?sp??r/, (chiefly Belgium) /?k?sp?rt/
• Hyphenation: ex?pert
• Rhymes: -??r, -?rt

Noun

expert m (plural experts or experten, diminutive expertje n)

1. expert

Usage notes

The word can be pronounced in a way that corresponds with the spelling (common in Belgian-Dutch) or a way that corresponds to the French pronunciation (common in Netherland-Dutch). In the literal pronunciation, the plural is experten; in the French pronunciation, it is experts.

Synonyms

• deskundige

Related terms

• expertise

Descendants

• Afrikaans: ekspert
• ? Indonesian: eksper
• ? West Frisian: ekspert

French

Etymology

From Latin expertus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?k.sp??/

Adjective

expert (feminine singular experte, masculine plural experts, feminine plural expertes)

1. expert

Derived terms

• expertement
• expertise

Related terms

• inexpert

Noun

expert m (plural experts, feminine experte)

1. expert

Descendants

• ? Turkish: eksper

Further reading

• “expert” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

German

Etymology

From French expert.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?ks?p??t]
• Hyphenation: ex?pert

Adjective

expert (not comparable)

1. expert

Declension

Further reading

• “expert” in Duden online

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from English expert. Doublet of esperto and experto.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /??ks.p??t??/

Noun

expert m, f (plural experts)

1. expert (person with extensive knowledge or ability in a given field)

   Synonyms: especialista, perito, experto

Related terms

• expertise

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French expert, Latin expertus.

Noun

expert m (plural exper?i, feminine equivalent expert?)

1. expert (person with extensive knowledge or ability in a given field)
2. (computing) wizard (program or script used to simplify complex operations)

Declension

Synonyms

• (expert): specialist
• (wizard): asistent

Swedish

Pronunciation

Noun

expert c

1. expert

Declension

See also

• kännare
• sakkunnig

Related terms

• expertis

Derived terms

References

• expert in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ki?n/
• (General American) enPR: k?n, IPA^(key): /kin/
• Rhymes: -i?n
• Homophones: Keane, Keene

Etymology 1

From Middle English kene (“bold, brave, sharp”), from Old English c?ne (“keen, fierce, bold, brave, warlike, powerful; learned, clever, wise”), from Proto-Germanic *k?niz (“knowledgeable, skilful, experienced, clever, capable”), from Proto-Indo-European *?neh?- (“to know”). Cognate with Danish køn (“handsome, pretty”), Dutch kien (“smart, wise, able”), koen (“daring, valiant, doughty, courageous”), German kühn (“bold, daring, audacious, hardy, valiant, venturesome”), Icelandic kænn (“wise, crafty, clever, able”), Scots keen (“lively, brisk; avaricious”). Related to Old English cunnan (“to know how to, be able to”). More at cunning, can.

Alternative forms

• keene, kene (both obsolete)

Adjective

keen (comparative keener or more keen, superlative keenest or most keen)

1. (chiefly Commonwealth of Nations) Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic, interested.
   • 2000, Jane Green, Bookends, London: Penguin Books, ?ISBN; republished as Bookends: A Novel, trade paperback edition, New York, N.Y.: Broadway Books, 2003, ?ISBN, page 304:

     In fact, she doesn't mention the fact that I've obviously been avoiding her, just sounds genuinely thrilled to hear from me, and as soon as I mention getting together she suggests Monday, which is rather keen, even for Portia.

2. Fierce, intense, vehement.
3. Having a fine edge or point; sharp.
4. Acute of mind, having or expressing mental acuteness; penetrating, sharp.
5. Acrimonious, bitter, piercing.
6. Of cold, wind, etc.: cutting, penetrating, piercing, sharp.
   • 1764 December 19 (indicated as 1765), Oliver Goldsmith, The Traveller, or a Prospect of Society. A Poem. Inscribed to the Rev. Henry Goldsmith, London: Printed for J[ohn] Newbery, ?OCLC; 3rd edition, London: Printed for J. Newbury,^{[sic, meaning Newbery]} in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1765, ?OCLC, page 10:

     Chearful at morn he wakes from ?hort repo?e, / Brea?ts the keen air, and carolls as he goes; […]

7. (Britain) Of prices, extremely low as to be competitive.
8. (US, informal, dated) Marvelous.
9. (obsolete) Brave, courageous; audacious, bold.

Usage notes

Keen is often used to create compounds, the meaning of most of them being fairly obvious, for example, keen-edged, keen-eyed, keen-sighted, keen-witted, etc.

Synonyms

• (showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness): ardent, eager, prompt
• (having a fine edge or point): sharp
• (acrimonious): biting, cutting, piercing
• (acute of mind): acute, penetrating, shrewd; see also Thesaurus:intelligent

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

keen (third-person singular simple present keens, present participle keening, simple past and past participle keened)

1. (transitive, rare) To make cold, to sharpen.
   • 1730, James Thomson, “Summer”, in The Seasons, A Hymn, A Poem to the Memory of Sir Isaac Newton, and Britannia, a Poem, London, Printed for J. Millan, near Whitehall; and A[ndrew] Millar, in the Strand, ?OCLC; republished in The Works of James Thomson. With His Last Corrections and Improvements. In Four Volumes, volume I, London: Printed for A. Millar, in the Strand, 1766, ?OCLC, page 93, lines 1256–1259:

     This is the pure?t exerci?e of health, / The kind refre?her of the ?ummer-heats; / Nor, when cold Winter keens the brightening flood, / Would I weak-?hivering linger on the brink.

Etymology 2

From Irish caoin (“to cry, weep; to keen”).

Noun

keen (plural keens)

1. A prolonged wail for a deceased person.

Verb

keen (third-person singular simple present keens, present participle keening, simple past and past participle keened)

1. (intransitive) To utter a keen.
   • 20th century, Stuart Howard-Jones (1904–1974), “Hibernia”, in Kingsley Amis, comp., The New Oxford Book of English Light Verse, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 1978, ?ISBN, page 243:

     Last night he had put down too much Potheen / (A vulgar blend of Methyl and Benzene) / That, at some Wake, he might the better keen. / (Keen—meaning 'brisk'? Nay, here the Language warps: / 'Tis singing bawdy Ballads to a Corpse.)

2. (transitive) To utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry.
3. (transitive) To mourn.

Related terms

• keener

References

Anagrams

• Enke, kene, knee, kène, neek

Basque

Noun

keen

1. genitive plural of ke

Hunsrik

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k?e?n/

Particle

keen

1. no, not any, not a

Declension

¹Form used when the plural of the noun is the same as the singular

Further reading

• Online Hunsrik Dictionary

Luxembourgish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ke?n/
  • Rhymes: -e?n

Particle

keen m or n

1. no, not any, not a

Declension

Somali

Verb

keen

1. bring

Yola

Etymology

From Middle English kene, from Old English c?ne.

Adjective

keen

1. sharp

References

• Jacob Poole (1867) , William Barnes, editor, A glossary, with some pieces of verse, of the old dialect of the English colony in the baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, J. Russell Smith, ?ISBN