Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for ability

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
“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


Discover More

Other Words From

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

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- )
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of ability1

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

Compare Meanings

How does ability compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Discover More

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.
Discover More

Example Sentences

The decision cannot be based on traditional parameters of willingness or ability to pay.

From Fortune

In the mid-1970s, King’s supervisors told him to hire more women to fill quotas, though they were still skeptical of his ability to retain those women, assuming they’d either quit or be fired soon after starting work.

The ability to on-board a senior employee remotely as well as the agency team working remotely has DeMuth warming up to remote hiring.

From Digiday

One effective option is simply shutting off their worst-performing exchanges, particularly if they aren’t critical to the advertiser’s ability to scale.

From Digiday

Creating a mentorship program is unlikely to inhibit anyone’s ability to be creative, she added.

From Digiday

That article noted that the F-35 does not currently have the ability to down-link live video to ground troops,.

Speech, in this case, is our ability to spend money on a goofy entertainment.

Nor does the jet have the ability to capture high-definition video, utilize an infra-red pointer.

Police, their representatives and supporters tell us, ensure our freedom of speech through our ability to protest.

Her magical ability to shrink people just by staring at them is also put to great use here.

Vain also was the valour and ability he showed in the campaign against the Royalists in La Vende.

In disease, the amount of solids depends mainly upon the activity of metabolism and the ability of the kidneys to excrete.

The ability to sustain the tone for a long time will increase, and with it the power of the muscles exercised.

The presence of a large gold fund was an assurance of the ability to return to specie payments after the close of the war.

Much has been said and written about the courage of the lion, and his ability to attack and kill any other animal.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


AbileneAbimelech