ap·ti·tude

[ap-ti-tood, -tyood]
noun
1.
capability; ability; innate or acquired capacity for something; talent: She has a special aptitude for mathematics.
2.
readiness or quickness in learning; intelligence: He was placed in honors classes because of his general aptitude.
3.
the state or quality of being apt; special fitness.
Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English (< Middle French) < Late Latin aptitūdō. See apt, -i-, -tude

Related forms
ap·ti·tu·di·nal, adjective
ap·ti·tu·di·nal·ly, adverb
pre·ap·ti·tude, noun

Synonyms
1. predilection, proclivity, bent, gift, faculty. 2. acumen. 3. appropriateness.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
aptitude (ˈæptɪˌtjuːd) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  inherent or acquired ability
2.  ease in learning or understanding; intelligence
3.  the condition or quality of being apt
 
[C15: via Old French from Late Latin aptitūdō, from Latin aptusapt]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

aptitude
1540s, "quality of being fit for a purpose or position," from L.L. aptitudo (gen. aptitudinis) "fitness," noun of quality from L. aptus "joined, fitted" (see apt).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
In recruitment, aptitude and attitude supercede experience.
His scientific aptitude was not immediately apparent.
Make it absolutely clear that it isn't a matter of the student's aptitude.
Take aptitude and physical exams to qualify for the training you've chosen.
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