How Do You Spell Expertise?

You have spelled the word correctly in the question, that is, the word is spelled expertise. It is pronounced phonetically as 'eck (as in check) - spur (as in spurt) - tease'.

The word is of French origin, with sources suggesting it dates back to the late 19th century. It is derived from the word 'expert' with the '-ise' taken as an abstract noun suffix; '-ise' also being French, to typically denote quality, condition or function.

To fully define expertise we must first therefore define 'expert', which means;

• expert (noun) - "a person who has extensive skill or knowledge in a particular field"
  
  
• expert (adjective) - "skillful or knowledgeable" or "of, involving, or done by an expert" (both definitions from www.dictionary.com)
  

Expertise therefore, by those definitions above, is the condition or attribute of possessing extensive skill or knowledge; that is, an expert is an expert since they possess expertise. An interesting quotation from American writer Denis Waitley typifies this definition -

• "Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise. View life as a continuous learning experience."
  
  

There are some more famous quotations using the word, such as;

• "Smooth ice is paradise for those who dance with expertise" - Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher
  
  
• "Working in Hollywood does give one a certain expertise in the field of prostitution" - Jane Fonda, American actress