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Prepositions after adjectives

Adept at, in, with or to?

Adept usually takes at for skills. In and with are also used in specific contexts, while adept to is generally nonstandard.

Quick answer

Which preposition goes with adept?

Use adept at for skills or activities: adept at coding. Adept in appears in formal contexts for fields or areas of knowledge. Adept with is used for handling tools or people. Adept to is generally not idiomatic in current English.

She is adept at solving complex problems.
He became adept in financial analysis.
The designer is adept with digital tools.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
adept at + activity

Talking about skill in an activity

Use adept at with actions, tasks, or general abilities.

They are adept at negotiating contracts.
2
adept in + field

Referring to expertise in a subject area

Adept in is more formal and often refers to knowledge within a field.

She is adept in classical languages.
3
adept with + tool/person

Talking about handling something effectively

Use adept with for equipment, technology, or interpersonal handling.

He is adept with camera equipment.
4
adept at + noun

Describing general competence

A noun after at can summarize a skill area.

Maria is adept at public speaking.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
adept at
She is adept at teaching beginners.
standard choice for skills and activities
adept in
He is adept in data security.
formal use for expertise within a field
adept with
They are adept with children.
skilled in handling or using something
adept to
The phrase adept to change is uncommon in standard English.
generally nonstandard after adept

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using adept to for skills

Adept normally does not take to directly.

✕ She is adept to coding. ✓ She is adept at coding.

Confusing at and with

Use at for activities and with for tools or people.

✕ He is adept with solving puzzles. ✓ He is adept at solving puzzles.

Missing a preposition

Adept is usually followed by a preposition before the skill or field.

✕ They are adept management. ✓ They are adept at management.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She is adept ___ handling difficult clients.
2. The technician is adept ___ laboratory equipment.
3. He became adept ___ legal research.

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Frequently asked questions

Is adept at the most common pattern?

Yes. Adept at is the standard pattern for describing skill in an activity.

Can I say adept with people?

Yes. Adept with is natural when talking about handling people or tools effectively.

Is adept to correct?

It is generally considered nonstandard in current English after adept.

abhorrent-to-in-for-of, about "ablaze with" or "ablaze in"? "able for" or "able in"? "abreast of" or "abreast with"? "absent from" or "absent in"? absolute in, for, of, to or as? "absurd to", "absurd in" or "absurd for"? abundant in, with, of, on or for? "abusive to", "abusive in" or "abusive towards"? "academic in" or "academic at"? "acceptable to" or "acceptable for"? accessible to, by, for, from or in?

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