cognoscente

/ˌkɒnyəˈʃɛnte/

Someone who's extremely proficient or knowledgeable about a particular subject can be called a cognoscente. Your deep appreciation for the books of J.R.R. Tolkien makes you a cognoscente of Lord of the Rings.

This word is often used in its plural form, cognoscenti, referring to a whole class of experts or connoisseurs: "The cognoscenti of sports disagree about who was the greatest basketball player in history." Cognoscente comes to English from Italian and goes back to a Latin root, cognoscere, "get to know." Spend a little extra time learning your word lists, and you'll soon be a cognoscente of vocabulary!

Definitions of cognoscente

1. noun

   an expert able to appreciate a field; especially in the fine arts
   synonyms: connoisseur

   types:

   aesthete, esthete

   one who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature

   wine lover

   a connoisseur of fine wines; a grape nut

   type of:

   authority

   an expert whose views are taken as definitive