metier

Metier is a noun that denotes a person’s area of expertise or occupation, particularly the field in which they excel or feel most at home. In English usage, it often describes a distinct specialization or craft, for example: "She made sculpture her metier." The term implies both skill and long experience rather than mere employment.

Originating from the French word métier, meaning occupation or trade, the English borrowing preserves the sense of a developed craft. In French the word is feminine and typically written with an acute accent as métier; in English it is common to drop the diacritic. Pronunciation in French is roughly “meh-tyay”; in English, pronunciations vary, commonly “meh-TEE-ay” or “meh-tyeh.”

In modern English, metier tends to appear in literary, critical, or formal writing. It is closely related to but not entirely interchangeable with vocation, profession, trade, or forte; it conveys a sense of a person’s best-handling field or lifelong specialization, rather than simply the job they hold.

Related concepts include occupation, profession, trade, craft, specialty, and forte. While the word is most often associated with the arts or creative professions, it can apply to any domain in which a person demonstrates notable expertise.