able (ˈeɪbəll
)
Definitions
adjective
- (postpositive) having the necessary power, resources, skill, time, opportunity, etc, to do something ⇒
able to swim
- capable; competent; talented ⇒
an able teacher
- law qualified, competent, or authorized to do some specific act
Word Origin
C14: ultimately from Latin habilis easy to hold, manageable, apt, from habēre to have, hold + -ilis-ile-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 suffixTranslations
- British English:
able
An able person is clever or good at doing something.He was one of the most able men in the industry.ˈeɪbl ADJECTIVE He was one of the most able men in the industry.
- Spanish:
capaz
adj
- French:
capable
adj
- German:
fähig
adj
- Chinese: 能 adj
- Arabic: قادِر adj
- Portuguese: capaz adj
- Russian: способный adj способная
- Croatian: sposoban adj sposobna
- Czech: schopný adj
- Danish: være i stand til v
- Dutch: bekwaam adj
- Finnish: kykenevä adj
- Greek: ικανός adj ικανή
- Italian: capace adj
- Japanese: ･･･ができる no_posp
- Korean: 할 수 있는 adj
- Norwegian: dyktig adj
- Polish: zdolny adj zdolna
- Brazilian Portuguese: capaz adj
- European Spanish:
capaz
adj
- Swedish: skicklig adj skickligt
- Thai: สามารถ adj
- Turkish: muktedir adj
- Vietnamese: có khả năng adj
Usage examples
He was no more able to discuss tactics than he was able to contemplate murder.
, TREASON KEEP (2001)Instead, those with the least connection with a place of natural beauty seem most able to avoid their effect.
Country Life (2004)Normally the technique is very simple - I always think that a child should be able to do such a thing.
Irish Times (2002)She says:'I give men credit to be able to look beneath the skin.
Glasgow Herald (2001)However, he may not have been able to help this odd tiptoed gait on account of the pathology of the leg.
, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)