inability

American

[in-uh-bil-i-tee] / ˌɪn əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

lack of ability; lack of power, capacity, or means.

his inability to make decisions.

Synonyms:

incompetence, impotence, incapacity, incapability

inability British

/ ˌɪnəˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

lack of ability or means; incapacity

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See disability.

Etymology

Origin of inability

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English inabilite, from Medieval Latin inhabilitās; equivalent to in- ³ + ability

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Obviously, his inability to retain 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara was frustrating and ultimately devastating.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

He’s long resented her inability to contain the frenzy surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein files.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

Five years later, his inability to improve his French was a final straw for many.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

And while healthy advertising spending boosted its most recent earnings, there are concerns about its apparent inability to launch a cutting-edge AI to take on ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

It was an expression of raw pain that came from an inability of my body to express that pain in any other way, shape, or form.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023