Definition of 'capable'
1. adjective [v-link ADJ of -ing/n]
2. adjective
Someone who is capable has the skill or qualities necessary to do a particular thing well, or is able to
do most things well.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
capable
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
Word Frequency
capable in American English
(ˈkeipəbəl)
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
capableness noun
capably
adverb
Word origin
[1555–65; ‹ LL capābilis roomy, appar. equiv. to cap(āx) roomy + -ābilis -able; see capacity]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
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 over:
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
- Spanish: capaz
- Swedish: skicklig
- Thai: ที่สามารถทำได้
- Turkish: muktedir
- Ukrainian: здатний
- Vietnamese: có năng lực
Browse alphabetically
capable
Related terms of
capable
Source
Definition of capable from the Collins English Dictionary
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
blew or blue?
Which version is correct?
mail or male?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
mail
male
The company will contact owners by .
rang or rung?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
rung
rang
She has home just once.
geezer or geyser?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
geezer
geyser
Do you know this ?
broke or broken?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
broken
broke
She has a leg in a skiing accident.
Your score:
Word of the day
apocynthion
the point at which a spacecraft in lunar orbit is farthest from the moon
New Conversations Day
The twelfth of July marks New Conversations Day. If you haven’t heard of it, don’t fret or feel afflicted by FOMO, for this is the first such day – ever.
Read more
Study guides for every stage of your learning journey
Whether you're in search of a crossword puzzle, a detailed guide to tying knots, or tips on writing the perfect college essay, Harper Reference has you covered for all your study needs.
Read more
World Music Day
‘If music be the food of love, play on’ must be the second best-known quote from the Bard. These words uttered – or crooned in some performances – by Duke Orsino, who is in love with love itself, constitute the very first line of Twelfth Night.
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
Updating our Usage
There are many diverse influences on the way that English is used across the world today. We look at some of the ways in which the language is changing. Read our series of blogs to find out more.
Read more
Area 51, Starship, and Harvest Moon: September’s Words in the News
I’m sure a lot of people would agree that we live in strange times. But do they have to be so strange that Area 51 is making headlines? And what’s this about fish the look like aliens. September’s Words in the News explain all.
Read more
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
know or no?
Which version is correct?
throne or thrown?
Which version is correct?
flea or flee?
Which version is correct?
groan or grown?
Which version is correct?
idle or idol?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
idol
idle
The crowd cheered as they caught sight of their .
Your score: