Dictionary

ability en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /əˈbɪl.ə.ti/
• (Canada) audio
• /əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/

Etymology

First attested in the 1300s. From Middle English abilite (“suitability, aptitude, ability”), from Old French ableté, from Latin habilitās (“aptness, ability”), from habilis (“apt, fit, skillful, able”); equivalent to able + -ity.

Meanings

1. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Suitableness.
2. (uncountable) The quality or state of being able; capacity to do or of doing something; having the necessary power.
   • This phone has the ability to have its software upgraded wirelessly.
   • This wood has the ability to fight off insects, fungus, and mold for a considerable time.
   • Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal, and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting. 2013 July 19, Peter Wilby, “Finland spreads word on schools”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 30:
3. (countable, uncountable) The legal wherewithal to act.
   • The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them, which is then licensed to related businesses in high-tax countries, is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies. 2013 June 22, “T time”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 68:
4. (countable, qualifier:now limited to Scotland dialects, uncountable) Physical power.
5. (archaic, countable, uncountable) Financial ability.
6. (uncountable) A unique power of the mind; a faculty.
7. (countable) A skill or competence in doing; mental power; talent; aptitude.
   • They are persons of ability, who will go far in life.
   • The most persistent tormentor was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who scored a hat-trick in last month’s corresponding fixture in Iceland. His ability to run at defences is instantly striking, but it is his clever use of possession that has persuaded some shrewd judges that he is an even better prospect than Theo Walcott. 2011 November 10, Jeremy Wilson, “England Under 21 5 Iceland Under 21 0: match report”, in Telegraph:
   • She has an uncanny ability to defuse conflict.
   • Then the disciples, euery man according to his abilitie, determined to send reliefe vnto the brethren which dwelt in Iudea. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 11:29:
   • Natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study - 1884, Francis Bacon, Of Studies:
   • a mixed-ability class
   • The public men of England, with much of a peculiar kind of ability 1848, Thomas Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James II:

Forms

Antonyms

unability · disability · inability

Deriveds

Motability · ability to pay · notability · nonability · transability · entransy · superability · diffability · traceability · ability grouping · subability · ability point

Relateds

able

Synonyms

skill (a skill or competence) · dexterity (high level of skill or capability) · capability (quality or state of being able) · aptitude (suitability or receptiveness to be acted upon) · aptness (suitability or receptiveness to be acted upon) · talent (high level of skill or capability) · capacity (quality or state of being able) · cleverness (high level of skill or capability) · faculty (suitability or receptiveness to be acted upon) · capacity (suitability or receptiveness to be acted upon) · faculty (quality or state of being able) · aptitude (high level of skill or capability) · capability (suitability or receptiveness to be acted upon)

Translations (203)

ur یوگیتو (quality or state of being able) · bg да́рба (a skill or competence) · hi क्षमता (quality or state of being able) · th ความสามารถ (quality or state of being able) · ru спосо́бность (a skill or competence) · eu trebetasun (quality or state of being able) · pt habilidade (a skill or competence) · fi kyky (a high level of capability or skill) · pt mestria (a high level of capability or skill) · ckb دەرەقەت (quality or state of being able) · crh qabiliyet (a skill or competence) · it abilità (quality or state of being able) · qu atiy (quality or state of being able) · cmn 能力 (quality or state of being able) · ga ábaltacht (quality or state of being able) · tl kakayahan (quality or state of being able) · ru возмо́жность (quality or state of being able) · lkt wičhóokihi (quality or state of being able) · hi सामर्थ्य (a skill or competence) · nl bekwaamheid (a skill or competence) · az bacarıq (quality or state of being able) · la habilitas (quality or state of being able) · tr yetenek (a skill or competence) · de Fähigkeit (quality or state of being able) · ky мүмкүнчүлүк (quality or state of being able) · sw uwezo (quality or state of being able) · az qabiliyyət (a skill or competence) · ota صنعت (a skill or competence) · la potestas (quality or state of being able) · la solertia (quality or state of being able) · mi āheitanga (quality or state of being able) · oc abiletat (quality or state of being able) · ar وُسْع (quality or state of being able) · fa توانایی (quality or state of being able) · ms kebolehan کبوليهن (quality or state of being able) · eo kapablo (a skill or competence) · es habilidad (quality or state of being able) · ta திறமை (quality or state of being able) · be здо́льнасць (quality or state of being able) · id kepandaian (quality or state of being able) · gd foladh (quality or state of being able) · ta திறமை (a high level of capability or skill) · bg кадърност (quality or state of being able) · cs schopnost (quality or state of being able) · de Fähigkeit (a skill or competence) · nl geschiktheid (suitability or receptiveness to be acted on) · sco abeelity (quality or state of being able) · sh sposóbnōst (quality or state of being able) · eu gaitasun (quality or state of being able) · af vermoë (a skill or competence) · af vermoë (quality or state of being able) · ur یوگیتا (quality or state of being able) · lkt wóokihi (quality or state of being able) · ht abilite (a skill or competence) · it abilità (a high level of capability or skill) · id kesanggupan (quality or state of being able) · sv förmåga (a skill or competence) · gd murraiche (quality or state of being able) · bg спосо́бност (a skill or competence) · gl habilidade (a high level of capability or skill) · el ικανότητα (quality or state of being able) · mn чадвар (a skill or competence) · gd acmhaing (quality or state of being able) · arz إستطاعة (quality or state of being able) · fi kyky (quality or state of being able) · be здо́льнасць (a skill or competence) · ota هنر (a skill or competence) · no evne (quality or state of being able) · ca capacitat (quality or state of being able) · lkt uŋspé (a skill or competence) · got 𐌼𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 (quality or state of being able) · bg вещина́ (quality or state of being able) · ast habilidá (quality or state of being able) · fi taito (a skill or competence) · mi kaha (a skill or competence) · hi कौशल (a high level of capability or skill) · la sollers acumen (quality or state of being able) · la prudentia (quality or state of being able) · sl zmožnost (quality or state of being able) · nl vaardigheid (quality or state of being able) · pt capacidade (quality or state of being able) · tl abilidad (a high level of capability or skill) · mi āheinga (a skill or competence) · ja 能力 (a skill or competence) · ro îndemânare (a skill or competence) · lt gebėjimas (quality or state of being able) · et oskus (quality or state of being able) · grc δύναμις (quality or state of being able) · ar قُدْرَة (quality or state of being able) · hi सामर्थ्य (quality or state of being able) · ta திறன் (a skill or competence) · eu abilezia (quality or state of being able) · pt destreza (a high level of capability or skill) · pt habilidade (quality or state of being able) · hi योग्यता (quality or state of being able) · kw gallos (quality or state of being able) · bg уме́ние (a skill or competence) · ro abilitate (quality or state of being able) · fa توان (quality or state of being able) · hi कुशल (a high level of capability or skill) · ru уме́ние (a skill or competence) · nl talent (a high level of capability or skill) · es capacidad (quality or state of being able) · ast capacidá (quality or state of being able) · arz قدرة (quality or state of being able) · oc capacitat (quality or state of being able) · ar اِسْتِطَاعَة (quality or state of being able) · hy կարողություն (quality or state of being able) · sv färdighet (a skill or competence) · gl mestría (a high level of capability or skill) · ro abilitate (a high level of capability or skill) · ru спосо́бность (quality or state of being able) · ta தகுதி (a skill or competence) · bg ло́вкост (quality or state of being able) · mi āheitanga (a skill or competence) · gl capacidade (quality or state of being able) · cy gallu (quality or state of being able) · es habilidad (a skill or competence) · te దక్షత (quality or state of being able) · el ταλέντο (a high level of capability or skill) · sh спосо́бно̄ст (quality or state of being able) · la facultās (a skill or competence) · tl abilidad (a skill or competence) · eo povo (quality or state of being able) · km លទ្ធភាព (quality or state of being able) · la potentia (quality or state of being able) · af bekwaamheid (a skill or competence) · rgn abilitê (quality or state of being able) · fi kyvykkyys (quality or state of being able) · ro iscusință (quality or state of being able) · af knapheid (a high level of capability or skill) · ko 능력 (quality or state of being able) · it capacità (a skill or competence) · hu képesség (quality or state of being able) · la scientia (quality or state of being able) · ar مَقْدِرَة (quality or state of being able) · gd abaltachd (quality or state of being able) · gd dìorachd (quality or state of being able) · rgn abilitê (a high level of capability or skill) · fr habileté (quality or state of being able) · ca habilitat (quality or state of being able) · fr capacité (quality or state of being able) · hy հնարավորություն (quality or state of being able) · fi soveltuvuus (suitability or receptiveness to be acted on) · ba һәләт (quality or state of being able) · ckb لەدەس ھاتن (quality or state of being able) · el ικανότητα (a skill or competence) · aa dudda (quality or state of being able) · te సత్తా (quality or state of being able) · bo ནུས་པ (quality or state of being able) · vi năng lực (quality or state of being able) · wyi balet'tak (a skill or competence) · gl habilidade (a skill or competence) · az bacarıq (a skill or competence) · he יכולת (quality or state of being able) · ar مَوْهِبَة (a skill or competence) · bn কুদরত (quality or state of being able) · et võime (quality or state of being able) · af talente (a high level of capability or skill) · bn ক্ষমতা (quality or state of being able) · fi kyky (a skill or competence) · nl vermogen (quality or state of being able) · sh вјештина (a skill or competence) · mk способност (quality or state of being able) · fr pouvoir (quality or state of being able) · ro capacitate (quality or state of being able) · gl habilidade (quality or state of being able) · ka უნარი (quality or state of being able) · ja 能力 (quality or state of being able) · la calliditas (quality or state of being able) · arz مقدرة (quality or state of being able) · th ความสามารถ (a skill or competence) · vo fäg (quality or state of being able) · mt abilità (quality or state of being able) · bcl urag (quality or state of being able) · hi योग्यत्व (quality or state of being able) · gd murrachas (quality or state of being able) · la ars (quality or state of being able) · ro iscusință (a skill or competence) · da evne (quality or state of being able) · el επιδεξιότητα (a high level of capability or skill) · vo skil (a skill or competence) · km សមត្ថភាព (quality or state of being able) · ro dibăcie (a skill or competence) · gv jargaght (quality or state of being able) · pt perícia (a high level of capability or skill) · el ευφυία (a high level of capability or skill) · sv förmåga (quality or state of being able) · ja 才能 (a skill or competence) · fi taito (quality or state of being able) · ga cumas (quality or state of being able) · pt habilidade (a high level of capability or skill) · ro putință (quality or state of being able) · ka შესაძლებლობა (quality or state of being able) · nl begaafdheid (a high level of capability or skill) · hy ընդունակություն (a skill or competence) · id kemampuan (quality or state of being able) · hi योग्यता (a skill or competence) · ro abilitate (a skill or competence) · sh vještina (a skill or competence) · gl pericia (a high level of capability or skill) · ta திறன் (quality or state of being able) · pl zdolność (quality or state of being able)