ability

¹

[ uh-bil-i-tee ]

noun

, plural a·bil·i·ties.

1. power or capacity to do or act physically, mentally, legally, morally, financially, etc.

   Synonyms: expertness, dexterity, proficiency, capability

2. competence in an activity or occupation because of one's skill, training, or other qualification:

   the ability to sing well.

3. abilities, talents; special skills or aptitudes:

   Composing music is beyond his abilities.

-ability

²

1. a combination of -able and -ity, found on nouns corresponding to adjectives ending in -able:

   capability.

ability

/ əˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. possession of the qualities required to do something; necessary skill, competence, or power

   the ability to cope with a problem

2. considerable proficiency; natural capability

   a man of ability

3. plural special talents

Other Words From

• suba·bili·ty noun plural subabilities

Word History and Origins

Origin of ability¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (h)abilite, from Middle French, from Latin habilitās “aptitude,” equivalent to habili(s) “handy” ( able ) + -tās -ty ²; replacing Middle English ablete, from Old French, from Latin, as above

Origin of ability²

Middle English -abilite, from French -abilité, from Latin -ābilitās (inflectional stem -ābilitāt- )

Word History and Origins

Origin of ability¹

C14: from Old French from Latin habilitās aptitude, handiness, from habilis able

Synonym Study

Ability, faculty, talent denote qualifications or powers. Ability is a general word for power, native or acquired, enabling one to do things well: a person of great ability; ability in mathematics. Faculty denotes a natural ability for a particular kind of action: a faculty of saying what he means. Talent is often used to mean a native ability or aptitude in a special field: a talent for music or art.

Example Sentences

"This approach to learning contributes to what we call 'cumulative culture' -- the ability to build on existing knowledge and pass it down through generations," Hewlett said.

From Science Daily

Two of these subtypes have the ability to influence the immune system, but in different ways.

From Science Daily

But the very thing that make phages so promising — their ability to evolve in step with pathogens — has been their undoing at the Food and Drug Administration, at least until recently.

From Salon

De Bruyne’s superb vision and ability to play passes into the right areas remains, but he is one of City’s highest earners and Guardiola needs him on the pitch more often.

From BBC

As our collective nervousness over AI grows each day, “The Wild Robot” emerges from the woods with a completely different take on a man-made being with the ability to learn.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• capability
• capacity
• competence
• intelligence
• qualification
• skill
• strength
• talent
• understanding