If you’re trying to find a single word or catchy phrase that describes someone with a multitude of skills and capabilities, then look no further!
In this article, you’ll find some great formal and informal terms for a multi-talented individual, so stick around!
Words for a Person With Many Talents
- Multipotentialite
- Polymath
- Jack of all trades
- Versatile
- Multi-talented
- Renaissance person
- Multiskilled
- Multidimensional
- One-person army
- Adaptable
- Multipassionate
- Slasher
- Multipod
- Well rounded
- Scanner
- Multi-hyphenate
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- “Multipotentialite” is a modern professional word to describe a person with many talents.
- When someone has many intellectual skills, you can call them a “polymath.”
- An idiomatic phrase for a multi-talented person is “jack of all trades.”
Stay right there! In the next section, we’ll unpack each of our favorite synonyms for a person with many talents. What’s more, we’ll provide some helpful example sentences using each!
Multipotentialite
In recent years, a new word for someone with many talents has developed, particularly in the professional and business realm.
A “multipotentialite” (also called a “multipod”) is a person with a wide range of skills and an aptitude across multiple disciplines. In other words, a “multipotentialite” is a multi-talented person who has no “one true calling” in life.
You will see this phrase most frequently in professional spaces. After all, it has been adopted by career sites such as LinkedIn and is usually used to discuss a person’s career pursuits. It may even be a good term to include on your resume!
Additionally, it is clearly a big, rather complex word, making it most suited for formal settings rather than casual conversation.
Finally, to see this term in action, consider the example sentences below:
Catherine is the prime example of a multipotentialite, so a role with a range of tasks and challenges would suit her.
It must be difficult to choose a career path, being the multipotentialite that you are.
Polymath
Another word to describe someone with many talents is a “polymath.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines this term as “a person who knows a lot about many different subjects.”
As you can see, this term is more of a word to describe a person with a broad range of knowledge. Therefore, you can use it to describe yourself if you are more of an intellectual than a handyman! Knowledge is a talent too, after all!
Additionally, this phrase comes across as rather formal. Thus, it would certainly be good to add to your resume if you are applying for jobs in the academic or scientific field.
Finally, let’s see a couple of example sentences employing this phrase:
I would describe myself as a polymath: I take an interest in all kinds of subjects, from art to history, to physics.
She is acclaimed as being the greatest polymath of her generation.
Jack of All Trades
When deciding that to call someone with multiple talents, most people go with the idiomatic phrase, “jack of all trades.”
According to Merriam-Webster, a “jack of all trades” is “a person who can do passable work at various tasks: a handy, versatile person.”
Firstly, this phrase is the first half of the saying “jack of all trades, master of none.” Therefore, it can be used in a critical or negative way from time to time. However, this isn’t always the case!
After all, it is still a good example of how to describe someone with a variety of handy skills. There’s nothing wrong with being excellent at one thing, but it’s great to be a person with multiple talents too.
As this phrase is idiomatic, it comes across rather informally. Therefore, we wouldn’t recommend using it in a resume unless you’re certain that the company you’re applying for has a friendly culture.
Finally, to see this phrase in action, let’s look at some example sentences:
They’re a typical jack of all trades – I’ve never brought them something they couldn’t fix!
He enjoys carpentry, blacksmithing, and he’s a wonderful artist – a real jack of all trades!