having exceptional talent or natural ability
from Old Norse 'gift' meaning 'gift, present', related to 'give'
The idea that talent is a 'gift' is built right into this word - it suggests abilities are given to us rather than earned! Interestingly, in some languages, the word for 'poison' and 'gift' are the same.
'Gifted' carries gendered educational history: girls' mathematical/spatial giftedness was historically underdocumented; boys identified as gifted at higher rates despite similar performance, reflecting evaluator bias.
Use 'gifted' carefully—specify criteria (e.g., 'gifted in mathematics', 'identified as gifted in reading'). Audit for gender bias in identification processes.
["talented","skilled","proficient","high-performing"]
Female mathematicians, engineers, and scientists labeled 'not gifted' (e.g., Hedy Lamarr) were erasively dismissed. Reexamine identification to surface overlooked talent.
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