ept en · ADJ · etymology 1
Etymology
Back-formation from inept; compare apt.
Meanings
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(humorous, nonstandard) Skillful and knowledgeable; adept.
These behaviors, developed in extremely bad basic and advanced training conditions were continued in better situations under more ept leadership.
1984, Military Intelligence - Volumes 10-12, page 62:...known the ways of the world in Washington, and may not have been as one of my colleagues in the legislature said, "very ept", when it came to this stuff.
1991, United States. Congress. Senate. Select Committee on Ethics, Preliminary Inquiry Into Allegations Regarding Senators Cranston, DeConcini, Glenn, McCain, and Riegle, and Lincoln Savings and Loan:They're confident, calm, at ease, talkative, cheerful, and above all, socially very "ept."
1991, Anne Geller, M. J. Territo, Restore your life: a living plan for sober people, page 133:And someone who wasn't glacier ept might have thought the mouth of a glacier a great place to hide a body for a long, long time.
2003, Dana Stabenow, A Grave Denied, →ISBN, page 119:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more ept | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most ept | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |