The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word ADEPT
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
A
D
E
P
T
More clues leading to the result ADEPT
- Expert in a reduced department
- Reread EP Thompson? Some of it’s brilliant
- Department chasing a very skilled operator
- Expert in a small section of store
- A branch of government briefly showing proficiency
- Expert, not married, made point briefly
- Expert: central feature of academy training
- Top section having skill
- Expert has a profundity that’s bottomless
- A division, briefly proficient
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "having skill" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case having skill = adept.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ADEPT mean?
ADEPT noun- One fully skilled or well versed in anything; a proficient
- Well skilled; completely versed; thoroughly proficient