capability

[ key-puh-bil-i-tee ]

noun

, plural ca·pa·bil·i·ties.

1. the quality of being capable; capacity; ability:

   His capability was unquestionable.

2. the ability to undergo or be affected by a given treatment or action:

   the capability of glass in resisting heat.

3. Usually capabilities. qualities, abilities, features, etc., that can be used or developed; potential:

   Though dilapidated, the house has great capabilities.

capability

/ ˌkeɪpəˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. the quality of being capable; ability
2. the quality of being susceptible to the use or treatment indicated

   the capability of a metal to be fused

3. usually plural a characteristic that may be developed; potential aptitude

Other Words From

• over·capa·bili·ty noun plural overcapabilities
• super·capa·bili·ty noun plural supercapabilities

Word History and Origins

Origin of capability¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Middle French capabilité, from Late Latin capābili(s) capable + -ty ²

Example Sentences

The country is also referred to as a “tier-one nuclear nation”, he said, due to its capability to produce nuclear fuel from the mining to the manufacturing stage.

From BBC

“The GEO Group was built for this unique moment in our company’s– country’s history, and the opportunity that it will bring,” George Zoley, the company's founder and executive chairman said in a call, assuring participants of his company's "capability to rapidly scale up" their services and the potential influx of $25 million in revenues for air transport alone.

From Salon

“Under Trump, higher education in the US will face a difficult future, featuring an aggressive and intrusive federal government, erosion in funding with no alternatives, a cavalcade of political litmus tests and a decline in the US’s science and technology capability,” wrote John Aubrey Douglass, a senior research fellow and research professor of public policy and higher education at the UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education.

From Los Angeles Times

This stage has the new capability to be stopped and restarted multiple times, which is useful when launching large batches of satellites into a constellation, or network.

From BBC

“We know North Korea wants to improve its satellite technology capability, conventional weapons capability and missile delivery systems,” he told Friday’s webinar.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• capacity
• competence
• effectiveness
• efficiency
• facility
• means
• potential
• power
• proficiency
• skill
• wherewithal