able

¹

[ ey-buhl ]

adjective

, a·bler, a·blest.

1. having necessary power, skill, resources, or qualifications; qualified:

   able to lift a two-hundred-pound weight; able to write music; able to travel widely; able to vote.

   Synonyms: fitted, fit

   Antonyms: incompetent

2. having unusual or superior intelligence, skill, etc.:

   an able leader.

   Synonyms: ingenious, clever, skilled, talented

3. showing talent, skill, or knowledge:

   an able speech.

   Synonyms: apt

4. legally empowered, qualified, or authorized.

noun

1. Usually Able. a code word formerly used in communications to represent the letter A.

-able

²

1. a suffix meaning “capable of, susceptible of, fit for, tending to, given to,” associated in meaning with the word able, occurring in loanwords from Latin ( laudable ); used in English as a highly productive suffix to form adjectives by addition to stems of any origin ( teachable; photographable ).

-able

¹

suffix forming adjectives

1. capable of, suitable for, or deserving of (being acted upon as indicated)

   separable

   enjoyable

   pitiable

   washable

   readable

2. inclined to; given to; able to; causing

   comfortable

   variable

   reasonable

able

²

/ ˈeɪbəl /

adjective

1. postpositive having the necessary power, resources, skill, time, opportunity, etc, to do something

   able to swim

2. capable; competent; talented

   an able teacher

3. law qualified, competent, or authorized to do some specific act

Derived Forms

• -ably, suffix:forming_adverbs
• -ability, suffix:forming_nouns

Other Words From

• over·able adjective
• over·ab·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of able¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin habilis “handy,” equivalent to hab(ēre) “to have, hold” + -ilis adjective suffix; -ile

Origin of able²

Middle English < Old French < Latin -ābilis, equivalent to -ā- final vowel of 1st conjugation v. stems + -bilis

Word History and Origins

Origin of able¹

via Old French from Latin -ābilis, -ībilis, forms of -bilis, adjectival suffix

Origin of able²

C14: ultimately from Latin habilis easy to hold, manageable, apt, from habēre to have, hold + -ilis -ile

Synonym Study

Able, capable, competent all mean possessing adequate power for doing something. Able implies power equal to effort required: able to finish in time. Capable implies power to meet or fulfill ordinary requirements: a capable worker. Competent suggests power to meet demands in a completely satisfactory manner: a competent nurse.

Example Sentences

However, by using a method earlier devised by Jonas Frisén, professor of stem cell research at Karolinska Institutet, the group has been able to count the rate of renewal of myocytes in the heart.

From Science Daily

Publishers should also be able to opt out of having Google use their content to train artificial intelligence tools, under the proposal.

From Los Angeles Times

“The whole of August was cloudy, so we weren’t able to document a single trip,” Mr Byrne says, leading his team to believe that one million barrels is a “baseline” figure.

From BBC

By comparing the genomes of those with and without the disease, the team were able to identify 80 areas of the genome with a likely link to the disease, the majority of which had not been previously reported, as well as 62 specific genes within those areas that likely had a link to the disease.

From Science Daily

"So far, most reports focus on improving the stability of the perovskite material itself, overlooking the protective layers. By improving the protective layer, we were able to enhance the solar cells' overall performance."

From Science Daily

Related Words

• adept
• apt
• capable
• competent
• proficient
• skilled