Definition of 'capable'
1. adjective
If a person or thing is capable of doing something, they have the ability to do it.
2. adjective
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
capable
Word Frequency
capable in British English
adjective
2. (postpositive; foll by of)
able or having the skill (to do something)
she is capable of hard work
3. (postpositive; foll by of)
having the temperament or inclination (to do something)
he seemed capable of murder
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
capableness (ˈcapableness) noun
capably (ˈcapably)
adverb
Word origin
C16: from French, from Late Latin capābilis able to take in, from Latin capere to take
Word Frequency
capable in American English
adjective
having ability; able to do things well; skilled; competent
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈable
Idioms:
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
capableness (ˈcapableness)
noun
capably (ˈcapably)
adverb
Examples of 'capable' in a sentence
capable
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.Read more…
Trends of
capable
View usage for:
In other languages
capable
British English: capable
/ˈkeɪpəbl/ ADJECTIVE
If you are capable of doing something, you are able to do it.
He was hardly capable of standing up.
- American English: capable /ˈkeɪpəbəl/
- Arabic: قَادِر
- Brazilian Portuguese: capaz
- Chinese: 有能力的
- Croatian: sposoban
- Czech: schopný
- Danish: duelig
- Dutch: capabel
- European Spanish: capaz hazaña
- Finnish: pystyvä
- French: capable
- German: fähig
- Greek: ικανός
- Italian: capace
- Japanese: ･･･ができる
- Korean: ...할 능력이 있는
- Norwegian: dyktig
- Polish: zdolny
- European Portuguese: capaz
- Romanian: capabil
- Russian: способный
- Latin American Spanish: capaz
- Swedish: skicklig
- Thai: ที่สามารถทำได้
- Turkish: muktedir
- Ukrainian: здатний
- Vietnamese: có năng lực
Nearby words of
capable
Related terms of
capable
Source
Definition of capable from theCollins English Dictionary
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
knead or need?
Which version is correct?
pidgin or pigeon?
Which version is correct?
moose or mousse?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
moose
mousse
The wolf's prey can range from elk to .
hour or our?
Which version is correct?
read or reed?
Which version is correct?
Your score:
Word of the day
ode
An ode is a poem, especially one that is written in praise of a particular person, thing, or event .
National Limerick Day
For National Limerick Day Collins Dictionary looks at the ground rules and patterns a limerick must follow, and discusses their origin.
Read more
7 Shakespearean words to add to your vocabulary
It’s English Language Day! The annual event where language lovers come together to celebrate the great William Shakespeare and a chance to celebrate multilingualism in English-speaking countries around the globe. We’re celebrating with this list of 7 Shakespearean words to weave into your vocabulary. Without further ado, let us go forth.
Read more
What is brain fog anyway?
Brain fog has been on people’s minds in more ways than one during the pandemic and after the recent lockdownversary. Whether you’re struggling to concentrate in meetings, finding creative thinking nearly impossible, or you’ve lost interest in cracking into that latest bestseller, brain fog has become more common amongst the population.
Read more
Collins English Dictionary Apps
Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android.
Read more
Collins Dictionaries for Schools
Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom.
Read more
Word lists
We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots!
Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge!
Read more
Join the Collins community
All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Read more
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
happy or pleased?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
happy
pleased
as Larry
apple or plum?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
apple
plum
the of your eye
guts or socks?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
socks
guts
work your off
stomach or throat?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
throat
stomach
have a frog in your
red or white?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
white
red
a elephant
Your score: