able en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- [eːbɐl] (India, North)
- /ebl̩/ (South-Asia)
- /ˈæbl̩/ (Australia)
- (General-American) audio
- [ˈeɪ̯.bɫ̩] (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- [eːbɨɭ] (India, South)
- [ˈeɪ̯.bw] L-Vocalisation
- /ˈeɪ.bl̩/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Indo-European *gʰh₁bʰéh₁yeti Proto-Italic *haβēō Latin habeō Proto-Indo-European *-elis Proto-Italic *-elis Latin -ilis Latin habilis Old French ablebor. Middle English able English able From Middle English able, from Old Northern French able, variant of Old French abile, habile, from Latin habilis (“easily managed, held, or handled; apt; skillful”). Doublet of habile.
Meanings
-
Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task.
She is able to lift the box without assistance.
-
Free from constraints preventing completion of task; permitted to; not prevented from.
I'll see you as soon as I'm able.
In a democratic world you'd be able to say what you thought wherever you were.
With that obstacle removed, I am now able to proceed with my plan.
-
Gifted with skill, intelligence, knowledge, or competence.
Natures that haue much Heat, and great and violent deſires and Perturbations, are not ripe for Action, till they haue paſſed the Meridian of their yeares: As it was with Iulius Cæſar, and Septimius Seuerus. […] And yet he [Septimus Severus] was the Ableſt Emperour, almoſt, of all the Liſt.
1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Youth and Age. XLII.”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC, pages 247–248:Urania speaks with darken’d brow: ‘Thou pratest here where thou art least; This faith has many a purer priest, And many an abler voice than thou: […]’
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXXVII”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 57:The chairman was also an able sailor.
-
Legally qualified or competent.
He is able to practice law in six states.
- Capable of performing all the requisite duties; as an able seaman.
-
(dialectal, obsolete) Having the physical strength; robust; healthy.
After the past week of forced marches, only half the men are fully able.
-
(obsolete) Easy to use.
As the hands are the most habil parts of the body...
1710, Thomas Betterton, The life of Mr. Thomas Betterton, the late eminent tragedian.:
-
(obsolete) Suitable; competent.
[…] and for every able man servant that he or she shall carry or send armed and provided as aforesaid, ninety acres of land of like measure.
2006, Jon L. Wakelyn, America's Founding Charters: Primary Documents of Colonial and Revolutionary Era Governance, volume 1, Greenwood Publishing Group, page 212:
- (dialectal, obsolete) Liable to.
-
(obsolete) Rich; well-to-do.
He was born to an able family.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| abler | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| hable | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| ablest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
able seaman · ably · ablenationalist · disable · ablenormativity · enable · able-bodyism · disability · able-bodyist · disablism · ablings · transableism · aiblins · able whackets · ablesplain · reablement · able-minded · ableist · able-bodism · ability · unable · disabled · differently able · ablenationalism · ableism · inable · ableness · ablenormative · be able · able rating · able-bodied
Relateds
Translations (200)
hu -ható (permitted to) · ms boleh (skillful) · pt hábil (skillful) · pt competente (legally qualified) · arz شاطر (skillful) · he מסוגל (skillful) · fr habilité (legally qualified) · nl handig (skillful) · ru полнопра́вный (legally qualified) · mt kapaċi (permitted to) · es hábil (skillful) · da kompetent (skillful) · hi समर्थ (skillful) · cmn 能幹 /能干 (skillful) · nl bevoegd (legally qualified) · hu tehetséges (skillful) · sk schopný (skillful) · ga ábalta (skillful) · pl potrafić (permitted to) · mk способен (skillful) · ro abilitat (legally qualified) · fi pätevä (legally qualified) · ar قَادِر (permitted to) · nl de mogelijkheid hebben (om te) (permitted to) · it capace (permitted to) · vo duinafägik (legally qualified) · fi pystyvä (permitted to) · fi hyvä (skillful) · nl in aanmerking komend (legally qualified) · pt possível (permitted to) · pl zręczny (skillful) · uk здібний (skillful) · cs schopný (skillful) · el μπορώ να (permitted to) · la potens (skillful) · es diestro (skillful) · hu jó képességű (skillful) · ro abil (skillful) · hy ունակ (permitted to) · ug قادىر (permitted to) · vi có đủ thẩm quyền (legally qualified) · lb fäeg (skillful) · hu -hető (permitted to) · vi có tài (skillful) · bg компетентен (legally qualified) · vo skilik (skillful) · la licens (permitted to) · lv spējīgs (permitted to) · sv kapabel (permitted to) · km អាច (permitted to) · ru компете́нтный (legally qualified) · el αρτιμελής (legally qualified) · de tüchtig (skillful) · pt permitido (permitted to) · my စွမ်း (skillful) · gd comasach (skillful) · es competente (legally qualified) · pt capaz (skillful) · ro capabil (skillful) · pl mieć możliwość (permitted to) · hu rátermett (skillful) · wyi kyinandoo (permitted to) · eo lerta (skillful) · bg позволен, в състояние да (permitted to) · de fähig (permitted to) · hu jogosult (legally qualified) · la potis (legally qualified) · ja 腕利き (skillful) · sk kompetentný (legally qualified) · la potens (legally qualified) · uk здатний (permitted to) · ca capaç (skillful) · bg компетентен (permitted to) · ml കഴിവുള്ള (skillful) · hy ընդունակ (skillful) · fi vapaa (permitted to) · pl móc (permitted to) · ms dapat (permitted to) · ml പറ്റുന്ന (permitted to) · pl umiejętny (skillful) · ru спосо́бный (permitted to) · lb fäeg (permitted to) · cs schopný (permitted to) · ru уме́лый (skillful) · bg кадъ́рен (skillful) · lb dichteg (skillful) · lb capabel (permitted to) · eo rajti (permitted to) · ar مَاهِر (skillful) · sv i stånd att (permitted to) · eo kompetenta (legally qualified) · ja できる (permitted to) · uk в стані (permitted to) · id boleh (legally qualified) · es podiente (permitted to) · nl competent (legally qualified) · mt kapaċi (skillful) · de imstande (permitted to) · nl bedreven (skillful) · arz قادر (permitted to) · ga in ann (skillful) · sv kompetent (skillful) · ro competent (legally qualified) · fa توانستن (permitted to) · cmn 能 (permitted to) · txb cämpamo (skillful) · da i stand til (permitted to) · vi có phép (permitted to) · ar قَادِر (skillful) · ga in ann (permitted to) · lb fäeg (legally qualified) · fi kykenevä (permitted to) · fi taitava (skillful) · et pädev (legally qualified) · el είμαι ικανός να (permitted to) · cmn 得力 (skillful) · es capaz (skillful) · ml കഴിയുന്ന (permitted to) · nl kundig (skillful) · hu képes (permitted to) · ka უნარიანი (skillful) · hu hozzáértő (skillful) · ka მარჯვე (skillful) · my စွမ်း (permitted to) · hu ügyes (skillful) · sv ha möjlighet att (permitted to) · fi pystyvä (skillful) · nl in staat (permitted to) · he יכול (skillful) · ko 할 수 있는 (permitted to) · sh способан (skillful) · fr capable (skillful) · el έχων σώας τας φρένας (legally qualified) · tr muktedir (permitted to) · et võimeline (permitted to) · lb capabel (skillful) · sh вјешт (skillful) · lv izdarīgs (skillful) · la potis (permitted to) · fr expérimenté (skillful) · no i stand (permitted to) · el ικανός (skillful) · et suuteline (permitted to) · be здо́льны (skillful) · hy կարող (permitted to) · eo kapabla (skillful) · vi có năng lực (skillful) · cmn 有資格 /有资格 (legally qualified) · pl zdolny (skillful) · ar بَارِع (skillful) · fr capable (permitted to) · la potens (permitted to) · ru спосо́бный (skillful) · de fähig (skillful) · ar قَدِير (skillful) · da habil (skillful) · kac dang di lu ai (permitted to) · lb kompetent (legally qualified) · su kersa (skillful) · nl competent (skillful) · qu kuti (skillful) · ml കഴിയുന്ന (legally qualified) · nl bekwaam (permitted to) · ug قابىل (permitted to) · lb dichteg (legally qualified) · da have mulighed for (permitted to) · sv skicklig (skillful) · ko 유자격의 (legally qualified) · sa समर्थ (skillful) · it abile (skillful) · ca competent (legally qualified) · cs způsobilý (legally qualified) · sh kadar (skillful) · es capaz (permitted to) · de kompetent (legally qualified) · ca capaç (permitted to) · id sanggup (skillful) · ja 有能 (skillful) · ko 능란한 (skillful) · vo fägik (permitted to) · ja 有資格の (legally qualified) · fy betûft (skillful) · hy ճարտար (skillful) · nl gerechtigd (legally qualified) · cmn 可 (permitted to) · la sanus (permitted to) · lv veikls (skillful) · ga ábalta (permitted to) · sh sposoban (skillful) · da dygtig (skillful) · la habilis (skillful) · cmn 會 /会 (permitted to) · eo povi (permitted to) · el δυνάμενος (permitted to) · sk schopný (permitted to) · sh vješt (skillful) · bg способен, умел, годен (skillful) · he יָכֹל (permitted to) · rhg fare (permitted to) · la potis (skillful)