ability (əˈbɪlɪtɪ
)
Definitions
noun
- possession of the qualities required to do something; necessary skill, competence, or power ⇒
the ability to cope with a problem
- considerable proficiency; natural capability ⇒
a man of ability
- (plural) special talents
Word Origin
C14: from Old French from Latin habilitās aptitude, handiness, from habilisableSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
capability,
power,
potential,
facility,
capacity,
qualification,
competence,
proficiency,
competency,
potentiality,
=
skill,
talent,
know-how,
gift,
expertise,
faculty,
flair,
competence,
energy,
accomplishment,
knack,
aptitude,
proficiency,
dexterity,
cleverness,
potentiality,
adroitness,
adeptness,
expertness,
force,
craft,
endowment,
-able
Definitions
suffix forming adjectives
- capable of, suitable for, or deserving of (being acted upon as indicated) ⇒
enjoyable
pitiable
readable
separable
washable
- inclined to; given to; able to; causing ⇒
comfortable
reasonable
variable
Alternative Forms
-ably suffix forming adverbs -ability suffix forming nounsWord Origin
via Old French from Latin -ābilis, -ībilis, forms of -bilis, adjectival suffixQuotations
"From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs"
Translations
- British English:
ability
Your ability is the quality or skill that you have which makes it possible for you to do something.Her drama teacher noticed her ability.əˈbɪlɪtɪ NOUN Her drama teacher noticed her ability.
- Spanish:
aptitud
nf
- French:
capacité
nf
- German:
Fähigkeit
nf
- Chinese: 能力 n
- Arabic: قُدْرَة n
- Portuguese: capacidade nf
- Russian: способность nf
- Croatian: sposobnost nf
- Czech: schopnost nf
- Danish: evne nutr
- Dutch: vermogen nnt
- Finnish: kyky n
- Greek: ικανότητα nf
- Italian: abilità nf
- Japanese: 能力 n
- Korean: 능력 n
- Norwegian: evne nm
- Polish: zdolność nf
- Brazilian Portuguese: habilidade nf
- European Spanish:
aptitud
nf
- Swedish: förmåga nutr
- Thai: ความสามารถ n
- Turkish: yetenek n
- Vietnamese: khả năng n
Usage examples
Colin Turley with his unshakeable faith in his bosun's ability to keep them alive in the boat.
, Let Not the Deep (1994)But, however well cast for the role of court painter, Van Dyck never lost his early ability to register the character of a sitter.
Country Life (2004)"Our sponsorship with the corporate world allows us to compete to the best of our ability ," says Mr Fitzpatrick.
Irish Times (2002)Consequently, up-to-date advice and the ability to take prompt action in relation to IP matters are available throughout the world.
Glasgow Herald (2001)Galton argued for selective breeding between healthy people of ability.
, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)